The Shotgun Start with Andy Johnson and Brendan Porath of Fried Egg Golf is a podcast waiting for you early in the morning that quickly blasts through a variety...
Rory and Jay speak on “reunification,” Ryder Cup temp taking, and LIV CEO rambling
Love is in the air for this Friday episode as Brendan and Andy discuss their plans for Valentine's Day to start the show. If you're looking for a last-minute gift, a tipster passed along a run of Zach Johnson "Tour-Issued" memorabilia currently up for sale on eBay. Andy has PJ make some picks for collectors looking to invest, leading to a discussion about whether ZJ is out there wearing a Small polo when playing. Golf's premier gambling podcast then shouts out some LIV odds for Adelaide, where 52-year-old Richard Bland finds himself favored over Dustin Johnson in a head-to-head market this week. Andy and Brendan briefly chat about DJ's career and current standing in the game, noting how much things have changed for him since the 2020 Masters. Speaking of changes, Andy went full data boy to compare the potential teams for the Ryder Cup this fall. With the median OWGR of these teams being almost equal, Andy dispels the notion of a large advantage for the Americans as many thought there would be following the rout at Whistling Straits. Data Boy Andy then shares some numbers showing that it may be beneficial for big names to play events in the fall in order to hit the ground running at early-season Tour stops, but Brendan isn't so sure about his data set. At the Genesis, both Rory McIlroy and Jay Monahan discussed the potential PGA Tour-PIF deal. Rory commented on his recent round with President Trump, who is apparently not a fan of LIV's format despite hosting events at his courses across the globe. There's also some talk about reunification, leaving everyone wondering whether the PGA Tour or the Champions Tour would benefit more from having LIV players back in the fold. Brendan received a Champs Tour scoop and sent PJ on an investigation into a potential Champs Tour Cutthroat Corner for this week's Chubb Classic. Brendan then briefly reads some comments from new LIV CEO Scott O'Neil before saving the rest for Monday. Flashback Friday returns to send you into the weekend with Brendan remembering the anniversary of Wayne Levi's 1982 Hawaiian Open win, the first-ever with a neon golf ball on the PGA Tour.
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1:23:53
Is PGA Tour-PIF deal almost done, Tiger WDs, and TaylorMade breaks up with DJ
Andy and Brendan start this Wednesday episode by wishing for the return of landline phones as society's primary communication method after some emails received earlier this week. In a light week for pro golf, two preview the Genesis Invitational, being played at Torrey Pines South instead of Riviera this year. They discuss their mixed feelings toward this event following the change in venue due to natural disaster and Tiger's WD after his mother died. Nonetheless, hammers are thrown on this week's fire locks as golf's preeminent gambling podcast looks to get back on the board with a win at Torrey. PJ takes a big swing with his pick for the week and apologizes for Kenny Gainwell's total yards prop loss, provoking some discussion about Sunday's game. Andy and Brendan then note the lack of TGL matches this week and wonder whether Tiger chose to have the league take a week off during his hosted event. Without a DP World Tour or LPGA event this week, the Champions Tour gets second billing ahead of the Chubb Classic. Andy shares some on-the-ground insight from Tiburon before looking ahead to the upcoming Cologuard Classic. LIV moves from Riyadh to Adelaide this week for their premier event, complete with the Watering Hole making its return. Brendan shares that the league will make its FOX debut on Saturday night at 11 pm ET due to the time change from Australia. Naturally, some ratings talk comes next with numbers from both LIV Riyadh's final round and Thomas Detry's Sunday at the WM released on Tuesday. Things wrap up with a news segment covering a reported update in PGA Tour-PIF negotiations and Dustin Johnson's split with TaylorMade as his equipment sponsor.
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47:42
Victory Monday and Spieth flashes in Phoenix, LIV’s opener ratings
Andy is on cloud nine for this Victory Monday episode, as Illinois alum Thomas Detry won the WM Phoenix Open going away. Brendan and Andy discuss Detry's first PGA Tour win and his outstanding play on the weekend that earned him a champagne shower and victory hugs on the 18th green from international stars like Matt Wallace, Ryan Fox, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout. The two wrap up more stories from Phoenix, including a big week from Jordan Spieth, a tie for second from Daniel Berger, and a faulty back nine from Scottie Scheffler on Sunday. Rasmus Hojgaard also received some flowers from Andy, leading to a wider conversation about possible European Ryder Cuppers in February. Andy and Brendan then recap the golf weekend across the rest of the world. They share their favorite Haotong Li memories as a way to commemorate his win on the DP World Tour and wonder how the U.S. Virgin Islands became the title sponsor for the LPGA's Founders Cup. PJ jumps in to detail how Bob Papa was growing the game of golf in Morocco while covering Miguel Angel Jimenez's win on the Champions Tour. The golf recaps close with a segment on LIV's debut under the lights, where Andy calls winner Adrian Meronk the "GOAT of Night Golf." This episode ends with a brief discussion about Tiger Woods playing in next week's Genesis at Torrey Pines, a place where he's won eight times.
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58:47
Tour meets with Trump, LIV has all of the lights, Global Home cafeteria cost cutting
Andy starts this Friday episode by breaking the news of the latest Cavaliers trade to Brendan just before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday afternoon. Brendan parlays his excitement about the Cavs into a recap of LIV's first-ever round on FS2, complete with dancing robots, strobe lights, and a Backstreet Boys appearance! Brendan shares details of his morning watching the 54 players in Riyadh and calls Thursday's first round "the golf broadcast of the year" to this point. With solid first rounds from names such as Dustin Johnson, Lee Westwood, and new signing Tom McKibbin, there's some anticipation for the final two rounds of competition in Saudi Arabia. In other LIV news, the USGA announced an exemption category for LIV golfers, the first major to have an explicit category for LIV qualifiers. On the PGA Tour, a statement regarding Jay Monahan and Adam Scott meeting with President Trump was released just before recording. The three met to discuss a potential deal between the PGA Tour and PIF, which the statement alleges is becoming closer to being a reality. Andy and Brendan then talk through Rory McIlroy's response to Charley Hoffman's letter taking "thinly-veiled" shots at him earlier this week. On the golf course, the WM Phoenix Open has turned into a influencer event, which has Brendan wondering whether it could be that exclusive if everyone's invited. Brendan shares some reports from PGA Tour HQ about cafeteria prices being raised, and Andy wonders if this is an SSG operation to recoup some money spent on other sports teams. This episode wraps with some SGS Golf Advice questions about joining a club and some Super Bowl chatter before the big game on Sunday night.
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1:07:32
The Phoenix party ‘venue’, Ballfrauds boat-raced, and Aimpoint gets roasted
This Wednesday episode is yet another TGL Tuesday Live Show! Andy and Brendan went live on YouTube to react to the Ballfrogs getting blown out by LAGC at the SoFi Dome. Brendan begins the show by coining the term "Ballfrauds" and questions how a this roster is losing to Justin Rose. Collin Morikawa was a revelation again, staking his claim as perhaps the best simulator golfer alive and explained that KPMG was now sponsoring his strategy regarding The Hammer. Andy and Brendan discuss the goings-on of TGL Match 5, where the screen technology failed to register a Tommy Fleetwood approach shot. In outdoor golf, Schedule for the Week begins with the WM Phoenix Open. The venue is discussed at length, with the golf course being only a minor factor in what this "venue" entails. Andy, Brendan, and PJ make their fire, mega-lock, hammer down gambling picks for the Waste Management in an effort to bounce back after a poor showing at Pebble. Elsewhere, Lexi Thompson, the retiree, is back again to play at this week's LPGA event, and the Champions Tour is in Morocco! Andy and Brendan also preview LIV's 2025 debut under the lights in Riyadh, airing on Fox Sports 2. In news, the LPGA has a new pace-of-play policy, Lucas Glover wants to ban aimpoint, and the Pebble Beach Pro-Am posted big ratings thanks to Rory's win.
The Shotgun Start with Andy Johnson and Brendan Porath of Fried Egg Golf is a podcast waiting for you early in the morning that quickly blasts through a variety of topics (usually) related to golf and (ideally) relevant to the day. It covers news from the pro tours around the world, amusing and important topics from the amateur game the rest of us play, and some irreverent stuff in between. There will be short interviews, previews, reviews, and dives into the archives. It provides what you need to know on golf through a rapid and fun catch-up discussion.
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