
A new Tour order, but a meritocracy? PGA Tour points overhaul, and Ryder Cup Europe scouting
The Shotgun StartShow Notes
Where were you when Duff Foreman made his historic debut in the golf commentary booth at the New Mexico Open? Andy and Brendan dissect the performance of Mr. Foreman, who is still learning the ropes in his new profession. The conversation then shifts to more substantial matters: a press release from the PGA Tour outlining membership criteria and eligibility for the new-look PGA Tour starting in 2028. They, along with Joseph LaMagna, go through the fine print of the changes and what it means for the future of the PGA Tour. Andy is particularly upset with one facet of the details - any guesses as to which one? They close by going through the Schedule of the Week, prompting a question about how strategic the Strategic Alliance actually is given this weekend's cluttered lineup.
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More from The Shotgun Start
Andy returns to the pod and promptly reveals his exciting upcoming weekend plans to The Boys, who are left speechless at what he's up to! PJ, Andy, and Joseph digest early results from the Butterfield before turning to more pressing matters: Jacob Bridgeman hitting the campaign trail, the meaning of life in an AI world, and parenting at youth soccer games. They close with some Golf Advice, which gets all three of them worked up about the modern state of Bachelor Partying. Roll. It. Back.
A Chicago team must have lost something somewhere because Andy is once again calling in sick for this Wednesday episode. The Boys join Brendan for a lively round of In/Out/Alternate as a way of previewing the Butterfield Bermuda Championship shortly before PJ pulls off one of the most impressive feats in golf journalism (no spoilers). Then, they discuss the recent news that Royal County Down may get some work done from familiar sets of hands. They almost forget to run through Tuesday's blockbuster TGL roster announcements, but fear not - the signings of Blades Brown, Ben James, Ryan Fox, and more are discussed at length to close things out.
At long last, it is Victory Monday again for the Chicago Bears! Andy and Brendan celebrate wins by the Bears and Browns to open this episode in high spirits despite the Cleveland Guardians finding themselves on the brink of elimination in the ALCS. After a shockingly brief Sports Minute, Andy wants to kick things off with the Champions Tour! PJ comes in to explain the thrilling end of the SAS Championship, where Vijay Singh became one of the rare players to make the cut at the Sony Open and win on the Senior Tour in the same year. Brendan wonders whether Vijay's Champs Tour career has been a disappointment and Andy poses the idea that Singh may find himself on the PGA Tour Championship Series in 2028. The two then discuss Eugenio Chacarra's win at the DP World India Championship. Chacarra now finds himself atop the Race to Dubai standings and is putting himself in position to break through the Lads Club for a spot on the European squad at Adare Manor. Speaking of Team Europe's stars, Rory McIlroy found himself in a debate with NBC lead analyst and golf podcaster Kevin Kisner regarding his participation in this week's DPWT event. After wrapping up this week's results, Andy and Brendan react to the latest news regarding the possible redesign of East Potomac Golf Links following a statement posted by President Trump on Sunday afternoon. Lastly, PJ pops back in as everybody ranks their best events of the 2026 golf season as we inch closer and closer to the Year in Review!
At long last, Andy has made his return to the podcast! He joined Brendan for what he's calling Victory Friday as the two went live on YouTube for a Friday morning recording. After the Milwaukee Brewers swept the Dodgers in the NLCS, Andy has decided that this is a win for the suburbs of Chicago and has deemed the team "his Brewers" for the rest of the postseason. The Friday Frenzy continues with an updated look at LIV's bankruptcy proceedings where most players now find themselves freed from any contractual obligations. Among them is Jon Rahm, who received his NIL rights and the rights to Legion XIII in this split. Brendan then transitions to what may be the story of the year: the "criminal" removal of the Champions Tour pension fund. Andy, Brendan, and PJ bat the ball around about this Adam Schupak report that features insane quotes from Billy Andrade, David Toms, Scott McCarron, and more. In other news, Will Zalatoris will miss the 2027 season after another surgery and the DP World Tour is still planning on holding its year-end events in the UAE. This episode wraps with some Golf Advice questions about a long drive disqualification and some caddie tipping gone wrong.
Brendan is once again joined by Joseph LaMagna as Andy is still on the run after a disastrous weekend for Chicago sports. BP is especially chipper given his Guardians took a 1-0 lead in the ALCS on Monday night, stealing a road game from the #1 seed Tampa Bay Rays. He opens the show with a bit of housekeeping regarding the next few weeks of programming before discussing the light Schedule for the Week. With the PGA Tour off, the focus is on the DP World India Championship and a field that features European Ryder Cup stars and other proper players. Among those in attendance is Rory McIlroy, who made waves on Tuesday with some new-look pants, a sponsorship deal for health trailers, and some comments he made during a Bloomberg event in India earlier this week. Brendan, Joseph, and PJ wonder if Rory's new health trailers are a way to keep his body in shape for a career lasting into his 50s despite the six-time major winner's insistence that he will not play the Champions Tour. At the Bloomberg event, McIlroy was asked about things ranging from playing golf with President Trump to his daughter's thoughts on TGL. Joseph runs a few clips from the interview and leads a discussion based on Rory's comments about LIV and its impacts throughout the greater golf ecosystem. In non-Rory India news, both Joost Luiten and Anirban Lahiri had something to say about LIV's future and how players should be assimilated back into the DP World Tour moving forward. Lahiri's comments particularly strike a nerve with Brendan, prompting a monologue about how historians will look back upon golf's "wasteful era." Brendan and Joseph are then joined by Austin Hitt, winner of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Championship, to discuss life on the KFT bubble, his best stories from his time on the Latin America Tour, and what he's looking forward to next year now that he has a PGA Tour card locked up.