Rory returns, Annual Walk-up Music Quiz, LIV’s pre-PGA schedule

It’s Victory Monday! For Brendan, at least. Andy has fewer nice things to say about his football teams and is ready to maybe check out on the Bears season. Then they move to tennis, which had its great final completely overshadowed by the opening Sunday in the NFL and maybe should take a page out of the FedEx Cup. An ad read for a new sponsor leads to some Irish Open chatter on the weather, Rory’s four balls in the water, and the Candyman’s ascent. There’s a segment on the USA’s big scouting trip to Rome over the weekend, where 9 of the 12 team members made it. Does it matter much for the actual Cup? Are people going to overreact to the ones who did not make the trip? The LPGA event leads to a side chat on Lexi’s awful year and upcoming Solheim Cup. The Champions Tour chat is more of an occasion to react to some interesting Ernie Els comments on technology leading to swing speeds that are not sustainable if you want to stay healthy. They close with a random flashback to the 2000 NFL Draft.

11 Sep 202343min

The SGS anniversary week rolls on with this beefier “Thursday-Friday” episode. Andy and Brendan begin with a quick schedule for the week review with some above-average golf taking place during NFL’s opening weekend. They discuss the Irish Open at the K Club, where the Prince of Ponte Vedra is playing with his Town Crier during a busy pre-Ryder Cup stretch that has some Euros raising eyebrows. Also pondered is how many people will watch the Champions Tour finish vs. the NFL late games on Sunday. News begins with an absolute bombshell of an NCAA golf scandal that might involve shady dealing and cyber espionage. It then moves to rumblings of Justin Thomas putting his coach, also his father, on the backburner, which his dad has already roundly denied as untrue. There’s also coverage of Adrian Meronk’s “anger” over his Ryder Cup snub and whether LD will need to steer clear of Warsaw. The episode concludes with two different segments: over-unders that weave between golf and the two hosts’ general pessimism about their NFL teams as they kick off the season, and then SGS golf advice on caddie tipping and a “gimme” controversy.

7 Sep 20231h 4min

Andy and Brendan are back from the holiday weekend recording on the fifth anniversary of the start of this podcast, a misguided, silly, but often rewarding endeavor. They briefly discuss their weekends before a separate tennis chat on the U.S. Open in New York and what golf might learn, or not learn, from that. There’s also some brief amusement over Martin Kaymer’s dissatisfaction with the Cleeks. Then they get to the European Ryder Cup team rounding out with six picks from Luke Donald and what the Aberg selection says about the current state of golf. There’s also some review of the U.S. roster and where it might run into points of contention against some of the personalities on this now finished Euro side. That also leads to a separate side reminiscence on the internal disaster that was the 2018 U.S. team when this podcast started, and whether there’s the potential for that with this group. The Walker Cup at the Old Course is given a recap, with some thoughts on how to improve or tweak it going forward. News hits on the CJ Cup taking over the Byron Nelson.

5 Sep 202358min

This Friday episode was recorded from the car that was the scene of the infamous Caves Valley audio disaster, and from a worse-for-the-wear return to the shed. But it’s a first of the month episode so Andy and Brendan are buoyant and excited for Labor Day, which is rated as a top holiday. Then they turn to some Ryder Cup clean up and the noteworthy quotes from Fred Couples that Keegan Bradley being older and not in tight with some of the younger guys on the team played a part in his not being selected. Any denial that friendships played a role in roster construction has zero worth or merit, even if that’s the proper construction process. They also discuss the Euro movements and the signs that Ludvig Aberg seems headed for a spot on Luke Donald’s team. They laugh at the Walker Cup hat uproar across the pond, but are eager to watch some great coffee golf from the Old Course. The week closes with SGS Golf Advice and an email on what to do when paired with two possibly made men who might be cheating their face off to win for your team in a charity scramble. Lastly, hit the Pro Shop for a Labor Day sale, using code LABORDAY15 for 15 percent off everything in the shop, including prints.

31 Aug 202346min

It’s a last-of-the-month recording for Andy and Brendan, who are working with spotty wifi after a day of travels from beautiful Northeast Ohio. They begin with some commentary on a recent Twitter poll on various Ohio cities, and the wonderful people we met at the event in Canton. Then they get to the news of the day: the USA Ryder Cup team rounding out its roster with six captain’s picks. They begin, and go and go and go, on the Zoom performance of Captain Zach Johnson, who really struggled answering questions and reading from a brutal set of prepared notes. They pick apart some of his justifications and stumbling and bumbling answers that give them pause about what could be coming in Rome. They also get to the picks, eventually, like Justin Thomas and Sam Burns getting in over Keegan Bradley, Cameron Young, and others. They discuss the big JT question and the notion that he’s the “heart and soul” of the team or the preposterous trend of the “American Ian Poulter.” There’s also a brief chat on some potential pairings to come.

30 Aug 20231h

Andy and Brendan are together in Cleveland and took in an absolutely thrilling final round of the 2023 PGA Tour season, where Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele went 63 and 62 to get in the clubhouse tied at 19-under … for low gross. They discuss the relatively flatline weekend in Atlanta and whether it’s an indictment of the staggered start leaderboard or just a one-off clunker. Either way, CBS can’t be happy but does it matter if the sponsors are sated? They celebrate Viktor’s continued ascent, as well as Xander’s continued run at East Lake..and rumored disgruntlement with the entire shadow win arrangement that has jammed him multiple times. They also discuss Scottie Scheffler’s woeful putting yet again and whether he will need to be hid at the Ryder Cup, and who his six new teammates might be when ZJ announces them on Tuesday. They close with news of a Tosti Tales suspension from the KFT just weeks after a debrief on the myth and legend of the hothead.

28 Aug 202355min

Andy and Brendan begin this Friday summer episode with a host of travel takes given recent airline trips -- from baggage claim to boarding to de-boarding. Then they get to the Net Tour Championship, where we have a ballgame despite the starting strokes! Andy and Brendan debate the contenders, with Andy digging in some more. They explore the Scottie regression, Collin’s big charge and what’s sustainable, and the peak chaos scenario we’re all rooting for: Adam Schenk. Also, would the ultimate blow to the FEC be its winner not making the Ryder Cup team, and would Keegan get a pick if he won it? There's also a lengthy discussion on Rory’s back injury, how it might have occurred, and whether the Tour keeping these things hush given the warm embrace and promotion of gambling is the future way to go. They close with SGS Golf Advice on a rumble on the course, asking your wife to un-book some golf, and law school degenerates revealing themselves in a round.

25 Aug 202354min

This Wednesday episode begins with a commitment to be, like the PGA Tour, “laser-focused” on the Tour Championship. But Brendan and Andy are quickly derailed with several submissions on Scandinavian relations following the Sunday chat on Viktor Hovland exiting the Swedish Pancake Zone. Then they get to the matters at hand in Atlanta, from the challenge of overcoming a staggered start to the sweaty conditions. They make picks for the week, run through the schedule for the week, and announce the event of the week. Then there’s a lengthy review of Jay Monahan’s press conference, from his comments on Maui to the Framework Agreement and a “positive outcome” for the PGA Tour. Is the Saudi PIF included in this outcome? News hits on JT committing to play the Fortnite Championship and the No.1 fairway wood as reviewed by the unbiased My Golf Spy.

22 Aug 202350min