Memphis was…good?, The Fleetwood chronicles, and Spieth’s season ends
Andy is once again lost at sea on a potentially Great lake, so "The Boys" jump in to recap the first round of the 2025 FedEx Cup Playoffs with Brendan! After an update from PJ on Don Rea's custom shoes for next month's Ryder Cup, Joseph LaMagna and Brendan dive into an eventful Sunday at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Justin Rose exorcised some playoff demons, defeating J.J. Spaun on the third extra hole at TPC Initech. Rose and Spaun locked up automatic qualifier spots for their respective Ryder Cup squads, but the main story was yet another Sunday collapse by 54-hole leader Tommy Fleetwood. Brendan and Joseph discuss Fleetwood's play on Sunday and Joseph shares some insight into an impactful course management decision that may have tipped some off to the impending collapse. Also of note, the Chaplain returned to Scottie's bag for Sunday and Mr. 1,000 shined again in one of the strongest fields of the year. There's plenty of chatter about the "Bubble Boys" of the FedEx Cup Top 50, as Rickie Fowler used his season of sponsor exemptions to cash a trip to Caves Valley, but Jordan Spieth is going home. As per usual this time of year, a lengthy Ryder Cup debate over Spieth's current status unfolds with Brendan playing the role of "public defender" for the three-time major champ. NBC's broadcast left a lot to be desired, worrying the trio about what's to come at the Ryder Cup next month. Elsewhere in golf, LIV had a double playoff at Bolingbrook, Megha Ganne won the U.S. Women's Am, and the President called in to congratulate the latest DPWT winner. After a brief Champions Tour Minute and a few news items, PJ convinces Brendan to give a statement on the Browns finding their franchise quarterback in Shedeur Sanders.
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1:36:13
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1:36:13
Using the FedEx Cup to make the Ryder Cup, Insane PGA Tour fantasy contest, and Golf Advice
A true Friday episode about nothing seems fitting for the first round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Andy and Brendan immediately jump in on some Ryder Cup discourse after Akshay Bhatia's Thursday 62 that has him in the lead at the FedEx St. Jude at TPC Initech. The two discuss whether players like Bhatia, Bud Cauley, or even Harry Hall could do anything in the playoffs to cement their case for a captain's pick ahead of next month's matches at Bethpage Black. There's some continued action on the caddie carousel, with Collin Morikawa debuting a new man on the bag in Memphis. Andy seeks out some help from our AI overlords about why Morikawa has issues finding a permanent caddie, and Tony Finau reveals that he, too, is playing the new Titleist ball that Fordie Pitts gave Mr. 1,000 last week. Brendan continues his crusade about PGA Tour history and the calculation that led to Mr. 1,000, finding that the PGA Tour wins record should NOT be 82 after all! Speaking of PGA Tour insanity, their latest "Perfect 30" fantasy game for the FedEx Cup Playoffs asks a question that is nearly impossible to answer - placing all 30 players at East Lake in the correct order three weeks ahead of time. Don't worry, the prize is one million dollars, but it's far more likely that the grand prize winner will merely get another $1,000 gift card to their local PGA Tour Superstore. In news, the U.S. Women's Am has been tremendous cocktail golf in the evenings, the DPWT has an SGS leaderboard early, and Hudson Swafford spoke out about his suspension from the PGA Tour. We round out the week with some Golf Advice about a child's day at the Senior Open and asking for more strokes on a golf trip.
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57:59
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57:59
Do the playoffs need a "Rory Rule," PGA Tour history shams, and Keegan's Ryder Cup status
It's time for the playoffs! Andy and Brendan are thrilled to discuss the most important three weeks in golf, kicking off this week at TPC Initech in Memphis for the FedEx St. Jude Championship. 69 of the top 70 players on the PGA Tour will tee it up in the first round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, with only Rory McIlroy skipping out. This has caused plenty of commotion and Peppy Peter says a new "Rory Rule" may be implemented to force all who qualify to play the three playoff events moving forward. Speaking of the playoffs, Brendan discovered that the Wikipedia article for this first round has become an a minefield of past sponsors and jumbled histories, not unlike the PGA Tour's winner list that deems Cameron Young as "Mr. 1,000." Mr. 1,000 is in Memphis, searching for another strong finish that would place him ahead of Keegan Bradley in the Ryder Cup standings. The calls for Captain Keegan to not pick himself as a player are growing louder by the day, so he'll need to play well in the postseason to silence the doubters. Elsewhere on the schedule this week, the Champions Tour is back stateside in Seattle, the DP World Tour's notable list is... something, and the U.S. Women's Am heads to Bandon. In news, the Creator Classic is returning to East Lake and an SGS favorite announces his last start on Tour.
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53:45
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53:45
Victory Monday! Cameron Young wins, Mr. 1,000 fraud, and Women's Open
Andy and Brendan! are joined by The Boys for the Victory Monday to end all Victory Mondays. PJ and Joseph LaMagna are ecstatic after Cameron Young secured his first PGA Tour win at the Wyndham, becoming the 1,000th unique winner in Tour history. Brendan has some questions about how we arrived at the 1,000 number, perhaps throwing an asterisk on the forever-nickname of "Mr. 1,000." There's plenty of debate about Cameron's Ryder Cup standing heading into the event in his home state and a potential playoff push for Playoff P coming up. PJ walks everyone through his mentality throughout the weekend as it became clear that the NYGC stalwart was going to win for the first time. LaMagna also sheds some light on real improvements in Young's game that could lead to a #floodgates situation following this win. Andy and Brendan then discuss some Coffee Golf, chatting through Miyu Yamashita's win at the AIG Women's Open. Jackson Koivun gets some love for his performance at the Wyndham despite skipping the Western Am, which was won by Jase Summy at Skokie Country Club. As you could probably imagine, the majority of this episode focuses on Cameron Young and the manifestation of his first-ever win and ensuing lasting legacy as Mr. 1,000 on the PGA Tour.
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1:09:50
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1:09:50
Is August good? Is Spieth good? Eye-popping amateur scores, and Golf Advice
First of the Month recordings finally return with Andy and Brendan! in high spirits for this Friday episode. With the calendar turning to August, a lengthy debate about month rankings breaks out before the two turn to Jordan Spieth's latest comments ahead of the Wyndham Championship. Spieth is looking forward to a big 2026 season despite being a 2025 Ryder Cup hopeful and Andy questions what reasonable expectations are for this "guy" moving forward. At the Women's Open, Charley Hull had some enlightening comments on the golf ball and why she doesn't watch golf on television. With the Western Am going on, Brendan shares some notables for those watching the weekend broadcast. PJ quizzes Andy and Brendan on Happy Gilmore 2 cameos, leading to some confusion from those who have already watched the film. In Golf Advice, questions about tournament play and asking for access to private clubs set Andy and Brendan off. There are also some intermittent updates on the Wyndham Championship throughout this episode.
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.