A TGL opening night content bonanza, amusements, and impressions

It was the first weekend since March where it felt like we had a full helping of golf, and this Monday episode slowly and aimlessly works through most of it. Andy and Brendan begin with the WGC Swampass at TPC Initech, also now known as the WGC Preferred Lies. They discuss what questions are left for JT after his 13th win at such a young age. Andy laments the soft conditions and the walking-off of wedge shots from 50 yards and out that exceed the “recommended” allotted time for playing a shot. Rickie’s complete no-show is obviously discussed as is the theory that Brooksy didn’t want to win on the eve of a major and that a top 5 finish is just about right. Also, his ant jokes aimed at Bryson are reviewed and he’s hailed as golf’s best WWE character. The LPGA’s return is highlighted with comments on Danielle Kang’s win and a call for more top courses and clubs to showcase themselves with women’s golf. The Hero Open hits on Sam Horsfield’s prickly personality and one player taking a boat ride à la Scrivener. Bryson’s comments on living to be 140 years old are panned. There is a debut of a new segment titled Milk Carton Monday, and the subject is Jeff Overton and his exploits. They close with some comments on the return of major championship golf and USGA championship golf this coming week.

3 Aug 20201h 1min

This Friday episode begins with a discussion on Brooksy and his opening 62 as a sign that major season is nigh. Is he back? Did he ever leave? Is he really actually an “afterthought?” Brendan and Andy discuss his current place in the game as well as some amusing quotes in a Golfweek interview on his alleged friendship with DJ and the lack of importance PGA Tour events possess for his career goals. Then they get to the Kraken vs. the Ants and ponder whether Bryson runs the risk of becoming “The boy who cried relief.” They discuss his preposterous posturing and revelatory, in all the unintended ways, quotes after the round about it. The Cuda and Euro Tour events are given some attention and a theory is posited for why Jazzy J is DFL in Memphis. Also, why was Rickie in the MA Jimenez congratulatory video and how did the caddie “Pepsi” from that infamous MAJ confrontation get his nickname. News hits on Webb Simpson’s contention that architects are to blame for the distance issue, DL3 getting run from CBS, and JDay splitting with another member of his team. Andy also makes sure to get off a theory that the NBA is also much better without fans.

31 Juli 202046min

This is a shorter Wednesday episode with Brendan nursing multiple injuries and in concussion protocol while on vacation. The golf schedule this week, however, is full with a lengthy roster of events to choose from for Event of the Week. Andy settles on the LPGA’s return at Inverness for the honor and explains why it should be a great watch. The alternates list at the Cuda, as you might expect, are also highlighted. Andy does some “investigative reporting” on the expected weather for the WGC Swampass and Brendan makes sure not to run afoul of Memphis while trying to explain why this event has become a punching bag of sorts. News focuses on the Tour getting even cozier with DraftKings and the conflicts that presents as well as the possibility for a more “open” Tour.

28 Juli 202041min

Andy and Brendan begin this week praising Michael Thompson and the story of his first win in seven years on the PGA Tour. It’s an amazing testament to persistence and talent and it was clearly a moving triumph for someone who has grinded on the PGA Tour for years. These stories enrich the Tour. And that’s about it for the happy stuff in this episode. What follows is a panning of a weak field doing little to go out and take a win on Sunday, Tony Finau failing to break the PR Open Curse, Rich Werenski’s jewelry, TPC Abomination, Chris Stroud’s WD for “not feeling well,” and some CBS slip-ups. It was a weekend that put the counter product of a potential PGL in an attractive light. After the heated 3M chat, Renato Paratore’s win in the first leg of the Coffee Pot is reviewed, as are Westy’s comments that he won’t play the PGA because of how the U.S. is handling the pandemic. The KFT purgatory is again discussed with Will Zalatoris and Davis Riley showing well again, and a talent like Max McGreevy winning and continuing to climb the rankings with no real place to go for another year. News closes the episode with a focus on Tiger declaring he’s out for WGC Swampass and the PGL sending out offer letters to players.

26 Juli 202053min

This Friday episode begins with one final story to cap what became a Miguel Angel Carballo theme week. Then Brendan and Andy get to the initial golf from the Sticky Note Classic, where Martin Trainer got lapped by his looper, DJ bailed after a 78, and the golf course failed to distinguish itself for the right reasons. There’s a brief Michael Thompson career retrospective before a total digression into the PGA Tour Sponsored Content that angered GolfTwitter this week. It’s loud and impassioned for a few minutes before things then go back to normal with what amounts to reading names off the leaderboard of the Colorado Open. On a more poignant note, Andy and Brendan discuss and praise Beef Johnston’s comments and perspective about why he WD’d from the Euro Tour’s first event back. The praise is not there, however, for Tony Romo’s disgraceful WD after four holes on a sponsor’s exemption on the KFT Tour. News hits on some new Covid bubble allowances as the Tour’s sugar daddy sponsors come up on the schedule this next month. The episode ends with a segment on 3M Open competitor Brendon de Jonge, who is T10 after saying he’d not been sharp at all and just been on his tractor. It’s a dictatorial move anointing him FVF Jr. winner but they discuss his legendary Zimbabwean amateur feats, how he put on 70 pounds since coming to the USA for college, his goat farm, his cricket background, his Pres Cup appearance, the reasons for his “Birdie King” moniker, and how he got into the VTech HOF before Michael Vick.

24 Juli 20201h 4min

This Wednesday preview begins with an apology Tour to Argentinians, canals, and Ernie Els’ golf course design philosophies. Then Brendan and Andy get into the schedule for the week, which quickly detours into a closer view of the bottom of the 3M field. It’s a field replete with also-rans and nebulous career exemptions while the best young players are relegated to lower tours. They hail the return of #CoffeeGolf and the start of the inaugural Coffee Pot series, with the first Euro Tour tournament hosted by an SGS favorite. They ponder if the thin 3M field is due to a lack of “pro-am” cash wooing some of the bigger names that surprisingly patronized the Twin Cities last year. Could a caddie, who Monday qualified, beat his usual loop this week head-to-head at TPC Sod Farm? Then there’s a proposal for a fall West Coast swing that’s being rumored as a replacement for a potential canceled Asian swing in October. Venues are listed and times and objectives are debated. News hits on the continued Wednesday Charity exhibition series on Tour and an admirable attempt by the Rolex Rankings to even things out as Tours resume play at different paces.

21 Juli 202048min

Much like Bryson on Friday, this Monday episode is a re-load after some computer troubles resulted in another lost tape. Andy and Brendan begin with the strange ending to a fun weekend at Muirfield Village, namely the ruling on Jon Rahm’s ball moving. They dismiss the notion that Rahm was trying to gain some sort of illicit fluffy Reed advantage but do wonder if 1) he should have been penalized at all and 2) if the Tour would have done it if the two strokes changed the outcome. Slugger’s quote that Rahm took the ruling as a gentleman is praised as a great troll. They also discuss Dylan Fritelli somehow, for reasons still unclear, becoming a Sunday final round feature in the coverage. Also discussed are Phil deciding to layup on a par 3, what kind of circus a Phil-hosted event might look like some day, Tiger’s health, and Jack refusing to wait to tear up his course so he could get the photo-op on Sunday night. Bryson’s behavior toward the rules officials on Friday is panned in a lengthy segment at the end and then there are a few parting notes on Sunny Abacoa padding his all-time MLGT money list lead and a Mountain Dew-less Monty dropping a bunch of weight.

20 Juli 202059min

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