Early notes from Augusta, LIV Doral questions, and El Pato's return

This Monday episode starts with a focus on weather talk as the ultimate small talk crutch, especially in our current quarantine moment. Tiger’s pet nicknames for ZJ and Bryson, unearthed in a video at the end of last week, are reviewed. Then Brendan and Andy react to the firmer details of The Match between Tiger and Phil at Medalist. They discuss the venue and atmosphere of the South Florida club, what Manning and Brady might bring to it, and the absurd betting lines for both that match and the one at Seminole. Andy gets so worked up about one line that he threatens to put a month’s mortgage on a team in one of these. The Vijay vs. KFT drama is also discussed in full after punting on it last week for the Crenshaw spotlight. The greatest hits on Mr. 300 and Keith Clearwater are re-visited, but a further lament is offered about the Tour’s lack of creativity to really use this unprecedented time to shake things up. They close with a quick hit news segment, including a discussion on plans for Memorial to monitor fans movements with chips in their badges and then tell them to separate.

10 Maj 202049min

This Friday episode features our SGS Spotlight for the week and the subject is Ben Crenshaw. As usual for these Spotlights, it’s long, but take it in at your own plumb-bob pace. We get into Crenshaw’s outrageous amateur career, including his three consecutive NCAA titles, intra-UT rivalry with Tom Kite, and the “Ben’s Wrens” that followed him. We go long on some of these NCAA moments and early pro days that had writers calling him the next Jack Nicklaus with Arnold Palmer’s charisma. His repeated majors close calls that followed are put in context before his major breakthrough at the 1984 Masters. His struggles in the 80s, both with his swing thoughts and health, are considered against the monumental hype that followed him from his earliest days as a pro. The emotional 1995 Masters win and the stirring 1999 Ryder Cup are given the treatment. We consider his contributions as an architect, one of the game’s greatest putters, and one of its great historians, when discussing his legacy at the end of the episode.

8 Maj 20202h

This Wednesday episode begins with a discussion on tacos, overrated components of tacos, and the delivery vessels of tacos. We then transition to the official announcement of the skins match at Seminole. We ponder how Rory will carry the conversation, how Rickie will activate, how DJ will strategize his way around, how Wolff could be a breakout star and, of course, whether TaylorMade will put CT machines on the first tee for testing. Mostly, we just praise the effort to bring televised golf (for a good cause) back into our lives and at a course that so few have seen on TV. An article on the European Tour’s dire financial situation also leads to a brief discussion on how different the world of golf might look when this is over and how the Euro Tour should focus on a trimmed down core product. Then Andy brings some numbers to the table to compare and contrast some of the peak decade-long runs we keep encountering during our Spotlight series and applying that marker to some modern superstars. How do they hold up against each other and to some of the names we’ve discussed in detail this past month, like Nick Faldo and Fred Couples? Lastly, we spend some time reliving the career of Bobby Clampett in what is not a full-fledged Spotlight but more of a short Flashlight review. His outrageous amateur run is discussed. We laugh at his hijinks from an all-around amusing 1979 U.S. Open, which also included the infamous Hinkle Tree and an imposter playing a practice round. Clampett’s flameout at the 1982 Open, where he held a 7-shot lead, is highlighted with Dan Jenkins reading. Finally, we discuss his place in history as the great hope of the Golfing Machine that fizzled out following the promise of his amateur success.

6 Maj 20201h 20min

This Monday episode primarily takes on the status developments across the various Tours. But we first begin with an apology to Dell for our naivete from a few weeks ago. Our discussion on the PGA Tour’s card problem then begins with news that there will be no promotion from the Korn Ferry Tour this year, and no Q school. Also, Major Medicals can reportedly be reset if you played poorly in those opportunities earlier this season. This leads to Andy just reading some player names, asking to guess their starts this season, and incredulity punctuating the exchange each time. We propose some changes to this plan where no current PGA Tour player will lose his card. And we also hit on the possibility that more top players may just stay home for awhile. Then we get to Adam Hadwin’s apparent contempt for the potential of having to putt with a flagstick in the cup. We round things up with Monty’s comments on testing, ponder who the Admiral might be, and discuss the catnip of JT and Rickie playing with balatas and persimmon on Sunday.

4 Maj 202052min

We open this podcast with some further comments on the Sumo Citrus phenomenon, offer some friendly content plugs, and then roll into the second half of our Spotlight on Davis Love III with Shane Bacon (Fox Sports broadcaster, Get A Grip podcaster, grilling hat wearer). Part II covers DL3’s major championship shortcomings and nerves, and then his one and only breakthrough at those championships, the 1997 PGA at Winged Foot. It’s a dominant performance that was allegedly going to lead to many more, but we appreciate and re-live a bit of that week. We also discuss his Ryder Cup career, including the one time he almost vomited, literally, with the winning singles point on the line. DL3’s final round to win the 2003 Players is remembered as one of the greatest rounds ever played. It came during an odd season for Love off the course, with family tragedy and odd rumors, but one of his best seasons on the course. Then we close with some legacy discussion and where Love ranks among the one-time major winners that we’ve also covered in this series, like Couples and Duval. Will he make the Andy HOF?

1 Maj 20201h 17min

This Wednesday episode begins with some brief discussion on MJ vs. LeBron to stir the pot in Chicago, as well as some brief comments on the Ryder Cup unlikely transitioning to an “all captain’s picks” format for this year. Then we turn to an SGS Spotlight on Davis Love III and we have the absolute privilege to be joined by Shane Bacon, broadcaster for Fox Sports and of multiple podcasts, including Get A Grip with Max Homa. We cover DL3’s rise to becoming a Tour Pro, his early struggles to even compete at the majors, then his struggles to close at the majors. A focus of this Part I is also on how Dru got his name. DL3’s prodigious length off the tee as he burst on to the Tour drew comparisons to Mike Tyson, Michael Jordan, and John Elway, which we review. We also spotlight his propensity to openly discuss his nerves and anxieties after big rounds. The personal tragedies in his life are discussed in the context of how it shaped his career. The hype and faded hope of a grand Love v. Couples era is also highlighted, as well as DL3’s first big win at the 1992 Players.

29 Apr 20201h 7min

This Monday episode is a departure from the heavy reading and listening on Nick Faldo of last week. We begin with some more reaction to The Match II becoming an official thing. We praise it, look forward to it, worry about the “banter” save for Peyton, and ponder Medalist as a venue. Then we discuss news of another potential match in South Florida united by one common OEM. A good article from Joel Beall in Golf Digest that reports on how the Tour’s return to action may look is reviewed. Shotlink sounds essential to any return. Broadcasts will look different. And purses will be smaller as events take significant revenue hits. In the back half of the episode, a giddy Andy reveals his walk-up music selections for what would have been the 2020 Zurich week. This was one of the more popular segments last year and Andy hits on several fun nicknames and controversial amusements in recent Shotgun Start history for this year’s playlist.

27 Apr 202047min

An early recording of this Friday episode begins with some quick musings on the Match II as well as a tease for another Andy walk-up music segment he’s been prepping for all year. Also, before the NFL Draft, there’s a brief interlude on which PGA Tour player we might choose first for a real, actual game of football in pads. Then we get to Part II of our SGS Spotlight on Nick Faldo, with PGA Tour dot com’s Sean Martin joining us once again. This part picks up with his last two major wins, the emotional ‘92 Open and the legendary Norman collapse at the ‘96 Masters. We also go in depth on Faldo’s relationship with David Leadbetter and how it ended abruptly. We get into Faldo’s 21-year-old girlfriend and the run of marital troubles that, per his own writing, hastened the end of his career. We discuss his broadcasting work, the spectacular failure as captain of the 2008 Ryder Cup team and the continued drama out of that, and his legacy as an all-time great. Is that legacy impacted at all by his current presence in our lives on TV? Thanks again to Sean for joining us on this look back at Sir Nick.

23 Apr 20201h 34min