The Shotgun Start

This Friday episode kicks off with a Playoff Baseball Minute following Andy's earlier declaration of support for the Chicago White Sox in their quest to eliminate Brendan's Guardians in the ALDS. Brendan says he's heard from dozens of Chicago fans who can't believe Andy's stance on rooting for both teams in the city, but Andy is too concerned about the continued dominance of the Milwaukee Brewers to care. He throws all of his support behind the Dodgers and convinces PJ to join him in rooting for a three-peat. Brendan is aghast at the notion that anyone would root for the Dodgers in 2026 due to their ludicrous spending with questionable morals. While on that topic, things transition to Jon Rahm's decision that he will not be playing in LIV 2.0, as announced by his lawyer on Wednesday afternoon. Andy and Brendan react to this expected news and wonder where Rahm will end up in 2027. Will there be a parachute back to the PGA Tour immediately for the two-time major winner, or will he play out the year on the DP World Tour alongside others who bailed on The LIV like Adrian Meronk and David Puig? Sergio Garcia will also not return to The LIV and has been released from his contract, now allowing him to contact any other tours. He's already optimistic about his Champions Tour career in 2030 but for now, his focus is on making the European side for Adare Manor. Andy supposes that the only thing that can ruin what Luke Donald has built is allowing the likes of Sergio, Lee Westwood, and Graeme McDowell back into the fold to disrupt the mojo. In other late-week news, Merion was announced as a USGA Anchor Site, cementing its place on the U.S. Open rota through 2050! Andy and Brendan also react to a Michael Bamberger article about Tony Romo's DQ from a recent KFT pre-qualifier. Playoff Baseball Minute returns at the end of the episode before Andy makes PJ and Brendan give their predictions for Sunday's matchup between the Browns and Jets. Experience the power, precision and versatility of Mercedes-Benz SUVs. Visit mbusa.com to learn more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At long last, LIV Golf has received part of its investment from BC Partners. Andy and Brendan return to break down the details of this "initial committed investment in LIV Golf" that became official late Monday night. This investment will help the league "emerge" from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and amended the terms of the original agreement, allowing two more weeks to build a roster for the 2027 season. BC Partners Credit head Ted Goldthorpe spoke at a Sportico event in London on Tuesday morning about the deal, repeatedly calling his new league "The LIV," which Brendan got a big kick out of. Goldthorpe also suggested that The LIV's teams could be valued at $100 million each "in very short order." Andy and Brendan debate whether BC Partners wants the league to succeed or will just use the tax advantages on the losses to make more money in other ways, as they've done with other purchases. Elsewhere in Europe, the Ryder Cup "Year To Go" countdown is on, with Luke Donald and Jim Furyk being peppered with questions about fan behavior, team outings, and the Americans being underdogs at Adare Manor. Furyk was also asked directly about Patrick Reed, bringing a whole new level of anticipation to the next 12 months of discourse. The two eventually get to the Schedule for the Week, beginning with a loaded field at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan. Blockie is once again in the field on the Champions Tour, but Andy deems him not a "Friend of Furyk" just yet based on earning an exemption through his play. On the DP World Tour, Jon Rahm withdrew from the Spanish Open due to the impending birth of his fourth child, leaving the newly-freed Sergio Garcia to fend for himself against defending champ Marco Penge. Lastly, they preview this weekend's Korn Ferry Tour Championship and lament the lack of promotion from the PGA Tour and KFT channels about the biggest week of the year. Experience the power, precision and versatility of Mercedes-Benz SUVs. Visit mbusa.com to learn more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andy and Brendan went LIVE on YouTube for this Monday recording after a busy weekend of fall golf... and a Bears win over the Jets. Andy is particularly giddy about some postgame comments from the Bears defense calling Sunday's win "one of the easiest games" they've ever played in, and Brendan looks forward to the Browns stomping this same Jets team next week. From there, the two recap a loaded schedule of golf, beginning with Tom Kim's win at the Asian Games. Kim successfully won gold, exempting him from mandatory military service in South Korea and keeping his pro golf career on track. Andy and Brendan discuss the mental pressures of playing under those circumstances and applaud Kim's performance, especially after a standout week at the Presidents Cup. In Utah, Smother Boy finally became Smother Man as Austin Smotherman won at Black Desert in his 100th start. After discussing Smother Man's win, Andy also highlights big weeks from Ben James and Rico Hoey. Adrian Meronk has started his 2027 Ryder Cup candidacy with a bang, winning the Dunhill by taking down Casey Jarvis, Tommy Fleetwood, and a drone-fighting Bob MacIntyre. PJ pops in for a lengthy Champions Tour Minute following another Steven Alker win over Michael Block on Sunday. After referring to himself in the third person on Saturday evening, Blockie's quest for his first win was derailed after he was hit by Alker's golf cart on the second hole of Sunday's round. Despite another loss, has Blockie done enough for a spot on Team USA at the Skechers World Champions Cup in December? Andy and Brendan then touch on a ridiculous setup on the Korn Ferry Tour and another non-major win for Jeeno Thitikul at the Lotte Championship. Things wrap up with an unexpected position from Brian Rolapp regarding Daylight Savings Time and another Andy rant about the Milwaukee Brewers. Experience the power, precision and versatility of Mercedes-Benz SUVs. Visit mbusa.com to learn more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brendan! is calling for a Victory Friday for the city (or town?) of Cleveland following Andrew Bailey's win at the U.S. Mid-Am! BP is joined by PJ for a brief intro to this Friday show covering the Mid-Am final, early PGA Tour action in Utah, and Pete Crow-Armstrong's struggles in a two-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs. Brendan then brings on Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal for a look at the "Business Season" of professional golf. The two discuss a variety of topics including what's next for the PGA Tour's media rights deals, the continued search for sponsors for Championship and Challenger series events, and whether FedEx is really gone for good following the 2027 season. Josh also hits on the recent wave of executive departures from the LPGA and the league's struggles to build a television audience. We'll return on Monday with a full recap of a loaded week of Silly Season golf (and probably Sunday's Jets at Bears matchup). Get yourself suited up for those final rounds of the year. Just go to proshop.thefriedegg.com and check it all out today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's a busy week of golf as the calendar turns to October! Andy and Brendan are both ready for some playoff baseball and spend this episode previewing the six (6!) golf events taking place this weekend. First, there's a bit of Presidents Cup cleanup, with Brendan wondering if Jason Day would've put the Internationals over the top if he wasn't injured. Still buzzing from Medinah No. 3's starring role, Andy takes aim at governing bodies scheduling out major venues for the next 20 years and can't believe we won't see Medinah on a major stage again anytime soon. The two preview the Bank of Utah Championship, where the three betting favorites were not PGA Tour members at this time last year. They also bring back the Lotte at Lottie's Challenge, highlighting this week's LPGA event and one of Chicago's finest establishments. After running through the rest of the schedule - including a "Classic" Champions Tour week - they bring on Matthew Galloway to discuss the ongoing USGA Mid-Am. Matthew, a reinstated amateur himself, and Andy discuss the USGA's stance on the issue that has swept the nation... or just a lot of angry people on Golf Twitter. Matthew also gives his take on the recent wave of executive departures from the LPGA. Know where to play and why in the FEGC App today. Visit thefriedegg.com/membership to learn more and join the club. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.