Is Rahm’s Ryder Cup future really in doubt, Stars pop up in India, & KVV Mailbag | The Shotgun Start
Greetings and welcome to a Wednesday edition of the Shotgun Start. It is October 15th. Brendan here. A little bit of a different intro. Sorry to pump fake you there. Uh it’s October. Got caught between release patterns as usual as can happen this time of year. Andy uh traveling caught with traveling. So we’re going to do a different different kind of episode. Have a few uh guest voices as usual. Try to bring KV in. Light week. We’ll get to India. getting some amusing intel from the ground in India and about the golf course there with with some notable players. But wanted to start a little bit with uh the subject of John Rom. He’s been a hot topic this week as his impending appeal or uh arbitration hearing on DP World Tour fines uh approaches. Uh I find him to be just one of the most fascinating characters in the game right now. Not obviously because of his play and his stature in world golf really for the past almost decade, but watching him at the RDER Cup, uh, I found him to be as important as any European on the team. I could say the most important, but that gets into a subjective analysis. Uh, I doubt too many people uh, wrote, talked, or discussed him in this way. We all know he’s an immense talent, arguably the best player on the team. Uh the last few cycles, one of the best players in the world the last few cycles. He and Rory are kind of have been there neck and neck. Rory certainly had a much better individual year this past season. But so much of the conversation, the discussion, the articles, the reaction had to do with, you know, Shane Lowry getting a half point to retain and an awesome celebration and moment life achievement for him there. Obviously Rory going toe-to-toe with uh adversaries including the crowd, Luke, Donald, Dodo, they could arguably be uh considered as important as anyone uh on some of the some of the players making points. Uh but I think Rahm, I don’t think you could argue anyone was more important than John Rom. Think what for me he symbolizes is an absolute elite talent buying into this the team the team the team mantra or as Justin Rose put it kind of cornly the boys and the badge. Uh no one you know Rahm is not one of these players for me that has made his legacy at the Ryder Cup. He’s going to do that. He’s been doing that but he’s not like an Ian Poulter type. He is absolutely going to be one of the legends of the game, if not is already, but is only using the Ryder Cup as a platform to further enhance that legacy. A and you know, we see the RDER Cup for some of these elite players more often than not on the American side as as somewhat of a nuisance or it’s just an extra fall date with some partying and playing for country and and and you can get after it there. But for Rahm, he’s kind of a guy in the shadows for someone of his stature. Um, so much of the hoopla and reaction were around Rory, Shane, the crowd, Luke Donald, Tommy making another putt, Rose making another putt. But when I thought back on the week, and and I was going to write a little bit about this when we were walking out of there, and I’m going to do it now because he’s become such a hot topic. thought back on the week. I think the two best shots that Europe hit were both from John Rom and it was a recovery at six on Friday morning as they were kind of seating the ground to that leadoff duo of JT and Bryson. You know, Hatton and Rom gave them seven holes. I don’t need to go through blowbyl below the RDER Cup, you know, a couple weeks later, but he, you know, Rahm hits or Hatton hits one so far left and Rom has to dig it out of waist high heather and they’re putting second to have the hole. uh they would get back in the match and then take that first point from there and never really looked back against that kind of emotional Dshambo and JT group and then his shot on eight on Friday in Forsoms as well hadn’t him put him in another tough spot and what what the broadcast called one of the greatest shots they’ve ever seen you know he’s hitting it from his waist with a horrible lie left of eight and makes it for a two to actually win the hole uh they would take the lead on Cantland Xander and ever look back after that? I think when I think about the actual shots, there were so many putts that went in the hole to great like reactions and crowd pump up moments. When I think about the actual shots and they were of the recovery nature and and you know, the morely type could invoke Sevy, you know, recovering from death for a two or a half or or to put it closer than your opponent. It is a little bit of that Sevy lineage. Um I thought they were from Rom. thought the two best shots that I could recall, the two most incredible shots were from John Rom. But, but he makes that quick Twitter highlight in so much of the accounting of these Rder Cups, uh, go back to crowd stuff, go back to Rory as as a notable statesman and and leader of the European side. And I watched, uh, Rahm Sunday at the press conference, uh, Sunday night. He sat on the far right. Uh, really took only one question from KV at the start, was never talked to or never really inquired again. I wouldn’t say this is some sort of anti-live thing. This is exactly what happened in Rome, too. He was just sort of in the shadows and and at that point maybe probably the best player in the world was also in the shadows. And a lot of the questions were for Rory or Luke or Rose or Tommy again. And you have the best player in the world sitting there. And for me, he seems unbothered given that stature and given all the acclaim and everything he’s accomplished as an individual. He seems sort of unbothered to be a a secondary figure. Certainly not on the golf course, but as part of the narrative, as part of the storyline and uh you know, as they walked off the the deis and and the press conference had gone and the press had it cidled away, um he sort of was was was grinning ear to ear and and from behind with Rory picked him up and like lifted him up. obviously he’s bigger than Rory and was just laughing and and euphoric and you know there and this was after he just sat through another press conference where he was I don’t know want to say ignored but but not a subject of it. There were a lot of questions for Rari obviously and we know like in certain instances I think he’s been I don’t want to say insecure but bothered by maybe not getting the amount of of run and press and acclaim as players who are on his level or below his level. A and for me what he represents in the RDER Cup now for two cycles and certainly this last one is is maybe the best player on the team who cares the least about getting the the amount of praise. is and I don’t know that it’s always been that case. So for me, uh, he’s always been or or coming out of this RDER Cup, he feels like the most important symbolic European player. There’s the play on the course. He goes all five. He’s kind of a warrior for all five. Didn’t end well this time for him, but he also represents something of just just putting your entire self aside. He doesn’t have another Spaniard on the team. seems like there’ll be some young talents that could join him in the coming years. But for me, he he feels like the most important well symbolic and in play European on the team. Now the present day news has mostly do have we the bombastic headline is have we seen John Rom play his last Ryder Cup ever? Uh that feels like sort of a a live victim position. Uh a livebot victim shaming or a victimizing position when I read it like that. But when you dig in a little deeper, they are at a pretty significant crossroads and impass. Uh the practical person would say John Rom they’re going to figure out a way for John Rom to play the Ryder Cup again and probably Tyrell Hatton were he to be you know on a level that should be warrant a selection at a Dare Manor seems likely but uh the sport arbitration panel in London is probably going to deny his appeal. They denied it for the other players that went to live in 2023. The expectation is that he will deny it uh that they will deny his appeal. Rahm has dug in and said he’s not going to pay his fines. Um, so, you know, he’s already come out and said where he’s not going to play for 4 months. So, we’re going to hear probably from the arbitration panel between now and maybe the next time we see him. Now, he got to play this play at Beth Page because this was pending, right? So, it was kind of this tickytac loophole of, you know, you’re fined, you could be ineligible and suspended, but you know, the hearing it hasn’t been adjudicated. So, go play Beth Paige and and and that’s not going to be the case. That that’s it’s going to be decided, you know, the arbitration will be decided between now and 27. Um they’ve the panel’s ruled in favor of the DP World Tour. They’re probably going to do it again. Rah has said he won’t play pay his fines. Um and so that might put us it feels like a thing that could be kicked down the road. 2027’s a long time, but it feels like the really the rubber is going to meet the road. It needs to be start starting to sust. I mean, Guy Kennings has gone on the record and says we’re not in a position to be changing rules that we’ve had to go to court to defend, which would mean, you know, they could win. Then they’re in this prospect of of having to change rules to allow Rom back in. Not only would they not would it not just allow Romach in, it opens up the the the already dealt with questions of Pter and Westwood and Sergio and the like who who who were part of that 2023 decision. Um, so it does feel much more urgent than than you might think with 27 so far off. Now, you could say Rahm should just pay his fines, right? pay his fines and he’s back on the European tour or or you know it keeps him eligible or or it will create these loopholes and and he’ll play his four events that keep him as an eligible member. Of course, if the arbitration panel upholds this this DP world tour argument, we’re in a spot where every time Rahm is playing these live events, he’s incurring he’s going to be keep incurring running up the tab and Liv has said in 26 they’re going to stop paying those fines. they’d offered to pay him and Rah said, “No, I’m not paying. I I don’t think I need to pay that. I want to support the DP World Tour. I want to play the DP World Tour. Um, and I don’t think I should have to also pay fines to the DP World Tour.” So, it creates these questions of of, you know, does Rahm think the prospect of him being ruled out of a Ryder Cup will force the DP World Tour’s hand to kind of roll back their prior positions? What obligation does the DP World Tour have to the PGA Tour and their strategic alliance? Because, you know, they’re kind of putting their foot down as part of that alliance, right? They’re they’re sticking theirelves their nose in the PGA Tour live fight by doing this, right? They don’t have to be involved, but the Strategic Alliance sort of makes them involved. Do they feel like they their obligation to the tour is to the point where they’re keeping Rom out of a Ryder Cup in the future? That seems less than ideal. Puts us in a President’s Cup situation where you don’t have the best internationals playing because of the PGA Tours entanglement or or fight with Liv, you know, walking Neman type. And I I just I wonder if Rahm thinks he can sit and kind of force their hand, not pay his fines. I’m a DP World Tour member. I love the Ryder Cup. I’ll support the RDER Cup, but I don’t need to pay all these fines for it. You know, we’ve seen this kind of from Rom recently in the past. He suggested, you know, he didn’t suggest there’s there’s a suggestion that he went to live as sort of this this tipping point that would force both sides to come together. I think it’s more than a speculation at this point. I don’t know that he expected or those around him expected that that you know the the framework agreement would not be consummated in some way after he left. He thought he might come back and be able to play dual tours or dual roles or figure it out. I don’t know that he thought he would be sort of this this banner carrier for Legion 13 and ostracized from PGA Tour events, the ones he’s on record as saying he misses and loves. For as long as it’s gone now and and really, have we heard anything to suggest this is getting close? If nothing else, it feels farther than ever. I know Joel Beal wrote eloquently for for Golf Digest that you know there’s really no reason for ROAB to to get skittish about about pushing this deal across the the finish line. So it doesn’t feel close. Rahm I think when he first left thought his power, his stature in the game and it was a big deal. It was a big loss punch in the punch in the stomach for the tour would bring the sides together faster and that just never happened. And I think, you know, by even by April that year, they might have been caught off guard at how slow and and seemingly at at loggerheads the two sides were. Does he think that’s going to happen? Maybe with the DP World Tour. Are you really going to keep me out of the RDER Cup? My position is like they’ll figure it out. This is all legal mumbo jumbo. It’s all these bylaws. But when you’re talking about precedent that’s been put down with the prior players from the arbitration panel ruling and Kenning’s quote that you know we’re not changing rules, we’re going to court paying to go to court to defend. We could be in a position where someone’s got to budge whether it’s the PGA tour figuring out with live between now and 2027 Rom paying his fines or the PJ or the DP world tour walking back on their ruling. Either way, uh it feels like kind of a a precarious position even though we have a couple years for a dare manner. I’ve kind of shrugged it off and said it’ll be fine. But reading up more on it, I it just does feel like we’re at a crossroads and it’s at the point where it’s hurting sort of the golf consumer. We’re not going to see John Rom play until February. He’s taking four months. He’s not going to go to Dubai or Abu Dhabi as many of the DP World Tour like Hatton are intending to do. uh obviously the the full-time PGA Tour players, but even the live players like Hatton are going to do. We’re just not going to see him. Now, these are the four months you’d want to miss, I suppose, if you were a top class player, you know, October, November through, you know, January, early February, where he he’ll restart in Riad. But, you know, it just feels like the less and less we see of Rahm, we’re missing one of the great titans of the game on on not mainstages, but any stage. And and so coming out of the Ryder Cup, he impressed me more than anyone of why the Euros have this secret sauce in the dressing room and have the secret sauce on the golf course that actually wins you points. And I don’t know that he got a lot of the a lot of the run and buzz for it because of all the other dramas that were going on. But for me, he feels like a critical piece of that lineage for why it works when the best players in the world are also kind of subjugate themselves to something greater. And that’s the European Rder Cup operation. And and given where we’re going or where we’re at right now, waiting for this arbitration panel, he feels like maybe the biggest story off the golf course in professional golf going into 2026. All right, we’re going to dive into a little bit more the usual schedule for the week and get going with our regular Wednesday episode here. 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You know, my my son, you know, last time, this time last year, there was a a leaguewide scandal about the uh BTA trend, the belt to ass trend. They weren’t using mobjack for you had like fifth graders and like in the handshake line if you won they would just pretend like whip their as they handshake and it became like like you’re going to get thrown out of the league if we catch you doing the BTA trend. It became viral on YouTube. Well, they weren’t using mobjacks for those. They were just using their little football. So, they were doing it to the opponents. They were not doing it to their own teammates. Not my kids team, but it became within the league. someone had done it and it was going viral across youth football apparently the BTA I I don’t know if it still is a thing uh ongoing but they weren’t using Mobjack for the BTA trend in football I’ll just say that uh KBV welcome in uh I I just did a little riff on John Rom and I know we’ve been talking about him a lot today a a good report from uh Tenolf uh international outlet translated it for to English uh reports he told them he will not tee it up again until Riad where where one naturally reemerges in the golf world. Riad in February 5th I believe. So he’s off for 4 months. Uh how do you feel about this? Uh sad. Uh, I think that I am, you know, mostly over like debating Rahm’s decision whether it was good or bad in this sense, but I am frustrated, I guess, that we just don’t get to see him for long stretches. I there’s a fan kind of sentiment out there be like, “Oh, you took the 500 million, bro.” Look, hey, look, I I probably wouldn’t, but you know what? Like that to each their own. But I don’t see how it benefits the fan where I get sort of tied up in like the really dumb perspective is like you can say that this benefits Rom like doesn’t have to work for 4 months. It doesn’t benefit us as golf fans to not see John Rom. And that’s who I think I we ought to look at from the perspective of the fan. And I just find it to be a bummer that this is uh kind of what he’s chosen. whether it affects his career uh is a different, you know, conversation. Maybe it’s the best thing for his career. Maybe it’s great for him and his family. Maybe we get a better John Rom uh in the majors because he’s had a sort of a long break. If that’s the exchange, then, you know, I could be talked into it. But in terms of my golf watching, I would like to have seen him teed up somewhere over the next Why I mean, I would love to see him in Australia. I’d love to see him, you know, doing playing in New Zealand, doing something like that. Sofi dome. Maybe it needs to be the sofi dome in the intervening months. I won’t go that far, but I love that piece of [ __ ] [ __ ] technology. You could envision that. That’s good. Yeah, to be clear, we are entering the silly season. So, he’s he’s he’s passing on Skins game, uh All-Star Challenge, Hero World Challenge, Sofi Dome, but also the DP World Tour playoffs in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. uh obviously the start of different seasons in the Middle East on the DP World Tour and on the West Coast and the PGA Tour. So yeah, he is missing some golf and just totally going away for four months at least as from competitive golf standpoint. Maybe he’ll do Dancing with the Stars or something else. He’ll be around. I don’t know. But uh he’s he’s going away. It’s it’s a little bit of a bummer. Um but it it cements his first year without a win since 2016 in an individual tournament. I know he won the season long and individual title for for without winning a tournament. Um so we got that going for us. Uh let’s get to the schedule for the week where Rahm is absent this week, light week as it should be in mid-occtober, but I believe I I don’t know if Andy has an event of the week. I’m going to propose one right now and I’m going to propose it’s the Indian Open uh the great national a a spot or India championship. It’s not the Indian Open. It’s the DP World India Championship. Let me make sure. It’s not the National Open. This is at Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi, India. There is a spot in the open, I believe, on offer in the very the qualifying series. Uh this will be I don’t think you could I don’t think it’s coffee golf. I don’t think unless you’re one of those Tik Tok influencer meatthead types that talk about like there’s more than 24 hours in a day if you live your life like this and you’re like splashing your face in cold water at 3:00 in the morning. Maybe it is coffee golf for those types, but it’s 3 to 7:30 a.m. Eastern time Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and then 7 a.m. Sunday finish. So, you know, could be coffee golf at 5 6 in the morning if you get up early. Um, in the event are a slew of DP World Tour stars, some PGA Tour stars of Benny Benny Booms. Is that what we were calling him? Was it Benny Booms? He’s a star in your book. Uh, notables are Tommy Fleetwood with Ben Griffin, Brian Harmon, Victor Havlin, Michael Kim, Thirsten Lawrence, Shane Lowry, and Rory Mroy are all on hand. Um, as many people have noted, there is a grow the game impact here. India is a big a big country, not a giant golfing country. I don’t think these guys are going to India in October unless there’s appearance fee uh money involved. Some of them, maybe not all of them. I think Monday Q made the joke, Brian Harmon is going to India in the middle of hunting season. I think he’s probably being compensated compensated for it. Maybe there’s some hunting in India that he could get done. You know, I mean, cows are sacred, but who knows what else is, you know, not sacred there. He could really, you know, maybe there’s less, you know, red tape and regulation. You could just start going after everything over there. I want Listen, if these guys are going to go to India and then talk about how Rory’s talking about how I want to see a part of India that I’ve never seen before, then you’re going to get your butt on the train and go up and see the Taj Mahal. you know, it’s like 2 hours away from Delhi. Like, you need to do the full tourist experience. I don’t want you just hanging out in your hotel room eating American food or whatever. Like, you need to actually go and and do the real Indian tourism experience. Uh, I have heard when they go to the DLF event from folks who have like just stomach bug is just runs rampant through caddies and players and you just got to like you got to have keep your head on a swivel with that. And honestly like where you get into trouble is eating some of the hotel food. Like one guy told me if you’re eating like you know bologon in the hotel that’s where you’re going to get just popped in the face but go eat where like traditional Indian food or where a lot of people are eating you might be in good shape. So just head out a swivel. Victor Havlin said he couldn’t make it to that he wants to go to Taj Mahal but had to rest or something like that. This course sounds like kind of batshit for uh modern professional golf. It is old old old school. I was told it’s really cool. Obviously haven’t been there, but I’ve spoke to people who’ve been there many times. It’s kind of it’s it’s stuffy from what I understand. It still has like the British influence, the British elements in India. It’s very stuffy like old school clubhouse architecture. Really old kind of cool club. But for modern pro golf might be full of design disasters like claustrophobic doesn’t even begin to describe it sahali type. Uh it was suggested to me by someone who you know knows the DP world tour and knows professional golf pretty well that they’d be surprised if Rory’s not hitting five and six irons off most TE’s. Shocked if he hits driver more than once. I think it would be they I shot DP World Tour shared a clip of him on the range today. He was just hitting irons. is like, “Oh, I wonder if he’s just just don’t even take the woods out of the hotel room. Would be kind of amusing, but crazy.” There there’s some images and videos starting to emerge. Super super claustrophobic. Sounds kind of fun. We did get tipped off that uh there’s like at least one maybe design disaster eligible hole, but it kind of cool. Could be kind of cool. Something different at least, right? What if Rory like won the tournament by like four strokes never hitting driver? That would be super sick. like tiger at Hick and whatever it was similar achievement I would say. Um totally that’s your DP world India championship. Any other thoughts on this? I don’t I mean it’s basically I do I mean it’s one of the biggest untapped golf markets in the world. I remember reading like there was something like 10 golf courses in all of India until like 20 years ago or something crazy like you were talking about the second most popular populous uh populated I think country in the world. Yep. Uh I don’t know they have like a lot of excess of land there. So, I don’t think uh no I you know I think like we’re starting to see a sprinkle of of what could be some sort of world mini circuit world swing or people are trying to intimate this could be when there is one. I don’t know how you execute that in practice. I think it makes for good kind of proposals and in in sound bites and boardrooms that like in execution are much different and and maybe I’ll do one myself now. I like is FedEx would FedEx be or a brand like FedEx that spends a god crap ton amount of money on the PJ tour pay for some like eight event circuit in the fall that’s India, Australia, Turkey, wherever the hell you not and maybe it’s an international it’s like an HS some sort of bank or something where you basically put like the top it’s like 30 40 50 guys on a on a on a plane and just go around the world like F1. And and the problem again is all these guys have so much money anyways and when you’re talking about 30 guys, so many of them Americans that never want to leave, they’re not going to leave for any amount of money during the fall. I don’t know. Is that a possibility? Yeah. No. Um I mean like is FedEx going to come out and sponsor that? No. Uh, no. I think you could maybe get like a more worldwide uh brand of some kind. Uh, you know, that would be interested in something to that effect. Um, I don’t know. Like I I’ve always thought like the Alibaba in China, right, is like as big as or bigger than Google in terms of like it’s or is Amazon I guess is maybe like an it’s a combination of Amazon and Google kind of thing. It seems like that if there would be like a, you know, worldwide brand that would Chinese love golf and would be interested in kind of maybe stamping their name on something like that. But, uh, I just don’t the players are such like they’re such snobs about traveling anywhere. Uh, you know, the their their forefathers traveled everywhere as Gary Player can attest. Uh, millions and millions of miles. uh you know, not even in a like a first class seat, just basically like tucked into Yeah. you know, a tiny coach seat. And so they have luxuries that uh the other players didn’t, but they still don’t really want to go to Australia. I mean, I just I wish like history could sort of elevate something like this to be like, “All right, it all builds towards like the Australian Open or something and then like the winner of uh that many points gets like, you know, some sort of like world championship trophy.” That’s kind of meaningful in some ways. People always act like the majors are like these untouchable things that can’t possibly be messed with, which is just a total fake thing because like they weren’t even majors until like the 60s when Arnold Palmer and the guy from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette basically was like these should be the majors and then it was like oh these are sacred like they we can’t possibly change anything like that. So, I always kind of laugh at at the idea that adding some sort of other crown in golf would like, you know, ruin the history of it, man. Like, that’s just all made up. Yeah. To be clear, this would take ungodly amounts of money. I’m not suggesting like, you know, FedEx would it would probably be, if we’re being honest, some combination of the PIFF and another global brand like, right? and and we’d get into that whole thing again and it’s hundreds of millions of dollars for eight weeks to, you know, trot around the globe and the events would probably suck. You know, they’d be pretty soulless and like just nobody would be there, but we’re going to these new markets and we’re growing the game and all that stuff. So, I don’t know. I I don’t like I think you’re going to keep hearing this as as like a untapped or a potential field to to kind of to harvest is is some sort of global more global circuit in the world. Isn’t it just cover though like cover fire for them to go take appearance money be like oh you know I want to see different areas of the world and also like get like two three million dollars to show up there. No I think they’re just trying to inspire young Indian kids to play golf. I think that’s all that’s happening here. No, I don’t know that it’s necessarily their duty to do that quite honestly, but uh yeah, I I think the cover for some of this stuff is is amusing to hear. Um continuing on with our schedule for the week on the uh we have the DP World Tour, India Open Indian Championship, I keep calling it on the LPJ tour with the BMW’s ladies championship at Pine Beach Golf Links in South Korea. second of four uh limited field events in Asia. Following up on that disaster in Shanghai with the Greens that were all scruffy, uh the purse is $2.3 million at Pine Beach Golf Links. The defending champ is Hannah Green. Notable so far, Selen Boutier, Carlo Saganda, the uh human rain delay. Lauren Coglin, Brooke Henderson, Ginyan Co, Miy Lee, Maya Stark, Rio Takata, and Miu Yamashida are your notables for the BMW Ladies Championship. This will be overnight golf 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. in K from Korea. That is Eastern time. 11:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. on Golf Channel. Wednesday through Saturday. That is your women’s event. Uh they are just kind of swinging through Asia ready to get back to the CME. No Nelly, no. You know, coming to international crown. At least the streak is done. I suppose Nelly just straight up hates the Asia swing, doesn’t she? Like this is like four years in a row she hasn’t done the Asia swing, I think, or at least three. Like she’s got no no interest. It’s kind of similar to the discussion we just had of like can you get Americans to like want to travel, right? Or or do they need the money or do they I don’t know. seems like markets to expose yourself to for personal gain in addition to, you know, you know, professional kind of pushing the LPGA forward. But I don’t know, not her responsibility necessarily, I suppose. Um, on the Champions Tour, PJ Circuit, we have the Dominion Energy Charity Classic. Uh, this is at the Country Club of Virginia, kind of in my neck of the woods. I’ve gotten many, many invitations to come down to Richmond for this classic event. I think they might be done there. This might be the last year. DJ might be a a rich man north of Richmond. That’s all right. I am. I’m not rich, but I’m north of Richmond. I know that. Uh, the purse is 2.3 million. Defending champ is Tim O’Neal. A great story. Notables in the field. Steven Allen, Steuart Sink, Ernie Ellif Gusen, Padrick Harrington, Miguel Anal Gimenez, Bernhard Loner, and Justin Leonard. Anything we need to know about Champions Tour this week, Peach? Uh, this is a playoffs, baby. We’re we’re cutting cutting down. Step step one. Uh, you know, B bubble boy uh Branch Job sitting at home and watching the uh ALCS with with Jackson. But, uh, the top top 50 will make it to next week and the allimportant Phoenix Country Club uh, you know, awaits us. How many buzz balls you think they’re going to sell at Phoenix Country Club this year? I would love we need to get on the ground reporting about if the buzz ball activation is back for the I hope it is. I hope God I hope it is not were the were the many millions of people sad about uh the Tiger news this week that you know the champions tour probably definitely is. I I would imagine they they inked that with every expectation that this you know who I actually think is the most sad and I’m already seeing a little bit a little bit of pub come out for this. The PNC father son just got absolutely roasted. I mean after after coming down to the wire with Jason Jason Langanger last year. Uh this is you’re not getting in the woodses. That’s that’s a tough blow. I mean cry me a river. That thing has gotten so like a ridiculous windfall for like five years. I’m sorry. That thing that’s that event’s preposterous. Come on. Did I ever tell you my my story about my daughter uh Parth when I took her to the Pebble Beach US Open and it’s like all these women, you know, the the great women golfers of the thing and we the USG had given us like inside the ropes passes. And so, yeah, we’re walking along and then my my daughter turns to me and she says, “Dad, there’s Will McGee.” I was like, “Oh god, that’s that’s who you picked up from Anakah, Anukica’s son. This is just such a disaster for me personally.” That is so good. See, that’s why the PNC matters. That is PNC representation right there. I will say my kids do like get into they’re like fascinated by that when it’s on in the background in December. I mean, there should be like a three wins and you’re out. The lang It’s time for the language to be done, you know? We need we need the imments to come uh come come take control. We need need need the implements to take over the show. And another sign for your beloved tour that that you know the grim reaper may cometh. Yeah. It’s not great. Um I had someone text me a tweet of uh the PJ tour champions doing a video on Scott Dunlap. Yep. Uh and someone suggested, “Do you think they’re going to send this to Rollap and say Mr. Rollap, you can’t get rid of the Champions store because what? What else can you do? Get Scott Dunlab retirement content. Well, I mean, I I said that that no offense to Mr. Dunlab. Probably a great career. Honestly, a great seemed like a great fella. That might be that video is, you know, the the use case for why we can’t cut these pensions. Look at Scott Dunlast retirement video. Like, this is the emotional emotional plea to to the business side. Inspired is going to be making emotional pleas now whenever if Tiger ever plays golf again. I mean, this is We got to hold on. We got to hold on. We can go get his son Nick on the straight and narrow. Get Nick going again on the PGA tour. Um, all right. Last but not le least in our schedule for the week, we have the St. Andrews Lynx Collegiate. This is going on right now October 13th to 15th. So, what’s left is Wednesday morning, 9:00 am to noon. Wake up Eastern time with little St. Andrews Golf, Cal, Michigan State, Princeton, and St. Andrews, a three-day event on the Jubilee Old Courses. Uh so that’s I guess coffee golf somewhat. So that’s your collegiate event uh on the college golf. Elsewhere, uh we have just some deranged notables for Q school. We were sent uh Q school started last week and getting through last week at two sites were Michael Feeles, KK Limbsha, Lim Limb Hassuit, Anthony Paluchi, Cameron Cis, Ryan Bernett, David Coacher, Corey Shawn, Leo Oo, Cody Blick, and David Kerry, which I’m told is Drew’s son. That cannot be true. But notables for the uh 12 sites this week and next uh Andy Boys, Vince India, TK Kelly, and Tommy Cool. Those are Andy’s friends, I suppose. Uh Scary, Halloween Boys, Nick Krueger, Evan Meyers, and Linkun Khan. So Krueger, Meyers, and Con. Um Water Boys, River Smallley, Jake Holbrook, and Payton Shore. Bradley Deir, Peter Bradbeer, and Grayson Porter. So that’s the beer. Uh there’s got so many of Hunter Epson, Canon Claycom, and Carson Lundelle. So Epson and Canon just deranged. Um what else? James Payatt, Kieran Vincent, and Turk Pettit. So live refugees, I suppose, that are looking for a way through Q school. Um what else? There’s so many here. Maybe we’ll continue to to do these uh next week. Uh Keenan Husky, Angelo, Giant Sopouloolis. So, Husky and Giant and Nate Diesel or Diesel I suppose would be uh would be the uh the interpretation. And the last but not least, Lorenzo Scalis, Kyle Vance, Scaliz Vance, and Michael Sanders. So, uh, I think those are politicians at the moment. So, Qchool off and running. Keep a note on that. Definitely not on TV, but I suppose it’s part of our schedule for the week this week. Um, let’s jump to uh Oh, news. Victor’s comments on the envelope rule. Did anything strike you there in uh uh Kevin? Sorry. Um, I think that what struck me was just more of like I wish we had heard from him that Sunday night. He said, you know, Luke Donald said he was near tears, on the verge of tears when they were talking about it. You know, you’ve reported on him more than many. Um, not most, not all, but many. And, um, he looked really despondent. Emotional for Victor, I would say looked emotional to me. And then the press count, I wish we would have heard from him then. Hearing from him now 3 weeks later, whatever it is, he did seem still quite despondent. Like, I felt awful about it. And what stuck out to me was like Victor, good guy Victor being like I felt awful for Harris. Like he didn’t get to play. It was kind of I don’t know if it’s embarrassing to be the envelope guy, but it it I felt bad that I felt bad for Harris. And and that really jumped out to me in his comments. One of the things that struck me is like that we live in a world now where even like the stupidest debates and things that surface up on X and whatever Reddit have to be eventually like addressed by the subjects themselves or else it’s like confirmation that it must be true. And so like this is one of those things that like I think anybody who has any like common sense knows that Victor wouldn’t be like, “Hey, you know what I should do is just like take a dive here and then we’ll knock out Harris English and we’ll get half a point closer to winning the RDER Cup, which we already look like we might win by double digits.” Uh it’s just such a dumb controversy. Like if you know anything about Victor, like it’s truly one of the most stubborn, like prideful people in all of golf. And so the idea that he would fake an injury uh is dumb. And I think like his you know explanation was kind of I think pretty decent in the sense of well you know if what do you do like do you make someone play through like an awful injury and like screw up the rest of their year? Uh you know it’s it’s kind of a relic of what the event once was but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing. And I don’t think like Keegan Bradley being like, “Oh, that rule’s got to change.” Like that’s BS. Like if it had worked in the reverse, which it did for the US, you know, in Ka, I mean, can we provide the background on that? Like I I think everybody knows like Kiwa like Steve P got in a car accident on on Wednesday or Thursday and played after the car accident. Played then gets matched up with Sevy, right? And then can’t go. Mhm. So, you know, it’s such a it only really matters when it’s like such a super close rider cup. I mean, in that instance, I think it was 88 going into singles. So, uh I think it’s like even more questionable in that instance, especially when all this kind of bad blood between the teams back then. uh you know in this instance like late that night I you know all of us were kind of laughing and joking and thinking like god the Americans might this might be a 20 point you know they might lose 20 to four uh and so I don’t think like any rational mind thought that it was a deal until it started to kind of you know bums got tight on the last day when the US started to you know come back so I just I I feel kind of bad for Victor I think it’s another example of what’s frustrating about those press conferences and access. People always like say stuff like, “Well, who cares about I don’t care if you talk to players or whatever.” Well, we didn’t get to talk to any players at all until Sunday night. Like there was no no access except for TV uh after the matches and then you’d only get the winning team. So then Sunday night they bring all the players into this tiny little room and there’s you know 150 media people jostling to ask a question and Victor doesn’t really get asked a question because like he’s not the most important story in some ways in there or maybe got asked something but didn’t really get to a chance to expand on it. And if you know that press conference was another 15 minutes longer, uh, you know, you definitely get like a broader explanation from Luke and Victor about why they decided what they did. And maybe the conspiracy doesn’t sort of mushroom and make more people annoyed. You know, some of it is truly just it’s gambling. That’s part of what’s driving it. like I, you know, I had this match or this victor to score this many points in the REDR cup and I’m pissed off that, you know, didn’t happen one way or on the sideline and the other. And so I just find that kind of whole thing there there are ways to kind of quash some of this stuff, but uh nobody wants to hear the media be like, well, more media access would be one way to do this. Uh now they just I agree with you. I I think there’s no doubt he was was legitimate injury. I also think playing in an inconsequential event India 3 weeks later is going to do little to quell the conspiracies. But that said, I’m not proposing that he took a dive for any reason. I have a stiff neck during the Ryder Cup from sipping on those beds in the Airbnbs that we had and I now it’s gone 3 weeks later. Like I’ll probably play golf this weekend. Like I you know feels like 3 weeks is a pretty good time to heal your stiff neck. Um all right, other news. Uh, we have a sponsor for Deral, a total prox that just absolutely warms my heart. Like original blog boy days for me. Cadillac. Hell yeah. Cadillac is coming back for Dal. The WGC Cadillac Deral Championship is coming back for the Trump internet or Trump Deral now, I guess, is what it’ be called. uh in the Florida Swain this spring, which made me wonder, made me ponder, made me pine for old kind of blog era sponsors returning. Like what other sponsors would you want to see come back? Obviously, everyone wants to see the Seattle Western Open for sure. The Boner Pill Western Open, you know, this this sort of gental refined car dealer, car maker that has the Western now. Get them out of here. Bring Sealis back. I had to freaking explain to my 13-year-old daughter what Viagara was the other day because we were watching golf and the commercials came on over and over and over again. It was top five like embarrassing parenting moment of my life. Well, now they’ve got you know these blue chew ones. I’m just going to say you know Seattle and Viagra at least it was a little bit more refined with the old couple walking on the beach. I mean, the blue shoe doesn’t leave a lot for the imagination for the youths that I have to then, you know, go explain stuff to. Um, uh, so another one, Dean Duca Invitational. Dean Duca went bankrupt. I don’t know how I went out of business. I can’t imagine why. Selling $25 apples or whatever it was in in 2015. But the Dena and Duca Invitational, RIP from former Colonial Valpar of course has been a great just just a absolute bonanza for great title sponsors. We had the Pods Championship it was formerly known as well as the Transitions Championship. You know those old people like lenses uh transitions and pods. I can’t believe this, you know, alternative moving storage unit just got in on a Tampa Bay golf tournament. the pods championship probably the careerbuilder challenge would be a good one you know it might be what whatever it is now Indeed and all these other uh LinkedIn I suppose has made some of these places obsolete I’ve never actually waited into those waters fortunately the career builder challenge was a favorite of mine and then of course the forgotten the long lost uh shaving cream in a can that cost 5 cents and lasted 10 years somehow sponsoring a golf tournament The Barbasol. Bring back the Barbasol. For God’s sakes, this Isco stuff. Get it out of here. We bringing Cadillac back. We need to bring back Barbasol. You know, when men were men, drove Cadillacs, used Barbasol, had sealis. Let’s go back to a better era. So, those are a few I’d like to see come back. I got a few for you, if you’ll allow me, uh the the 80s and the 70s are really like a treasure trove for this stuff. And it’s all kind of available on Wikipedia. Uh the Sammy Davis Jr. Greater Harford Open uh is one of my faves. Like I, you know, when and the Glenn Campbell LA Open is another one. When the back when like singers, entertainers, uh Joe Garagiola sponsored the Tucson Open uh for a couple years. Start from the Bing Crosby. I wonder how that just kind of Andy Williams, famous Kuner, he also sponsored the San Diego open for a little while. That’s great. Yeah. Uh but uh Hardies had a an event uh was the Hardies Golf Classic. Uh yeah, it’s uh that’s incredible. It’s now the John Deere. So that was uh you know before John Deere got involved it was the Hardies. Yeah. Uh but there’s a couple like there’s several beer uh like in in 1983 there were the Miller Highife uh QCO and the Annheiser Bush Classic. Uh again that the Miller High Life was the John Deere before it was the John Deere. Uh so uh there’s a lot of uh the the legit Kors classic. Yeah, I remember that one. Yeah, the beer companies really loved getting in on that stuff. Um it’s kind of amazing sort of the bluecollar mainstream brand like McDonald’s used to do the LPGA like Ronald McDonald in full costume would present portray us, right? That was at Bully Rock for a while. The Yes, Bully Rock. Yep. Yep. That was there. I think somebody trying to remember who won it like a modern a player who’s who’s still kind of hanging around. I just remember there’s an image of Ronald McDonald like presenting the trophy. So ridiculous. So like just sort of like dehumanizing. It’s just terrible. Um anyways, Leman Brothers used to sponsor uh one before they they used to sponsor what’s what’s now the farmers. Uh oh, really? The Lehman Brothers. Anyways, credit default swap. Sorry. Um, they’re gone. Um, all right. Yeah. So, Cadillac back. Happy about that. That does it for news. Let’s, uh, put in a quick word for our pro shop. The fall line is out. We have Bretty Staples like the Russ crew neck, the Proctor hoodie, which is coming back to wage war against the tyranny of the Andy hoodie. The Andy tyranny. Like, no, I’m kidding. Both are great product. Andy is popping off. But the Proctor hoodie, also a good original staple. The Jack Polo, which is their long sleeve puma cotton polo. I would put in a a straw recommendation for that. Actually played golf once with Billy. This was a while ago, five years ago. He says basically we it was about this time of year. He lives in the Jack Polo from basically, you know, midepptember through November. And that was Billy himself, Daddy. Um, they’ve got new embroider we have new embroidered imperial hat uh belts in four colors in the pro shop and a big batch of uh Richard Richardson rope and trucker hats in the uh pro shop at the Friday egg the hats those Richardson ones Andy and I are big fans those fit really well. I got one on right now. Friday Egg golf club hat. So uh check out the pro shop uh at Friday Egg. All right, let’s go to a tease a little bit. New feature we’re bring into a fried egg platforms. I suppose it’s going to be the mailbag. The KV mailbag. We’ll come up with a name for it. I don’t know. That may be the name mailbag for KV. We’re going to do it on the pod. You’re going to answer them at length in in written form. Probably excerpted in the newsletter. We’re we’re still in the experimental stages, but we know we’re going to do it. You’ve got a ton of emails already. Send them to what is it? KV. Yeah, it’s kv the fried egg.com. Uh if you want to, you know, throw and the dumber the better like uh you know, pro golf, wreck golf, whatever, right? And you will respond in time. You know, it’s going to become a recurring feature. And I think people seek your counsel on these kinds of stuff, whether it’s silly or serious, sacred and the profane, as I say. Um should we start with the the first batch that’s come in? We’re we’re getting these designed for the website, so this will be coming out soon. Keep the questions rolling in. Yeah. And and if you’re a sponsor out there and you want to sponsor this segment, by God, reach out to business peak, FedEx, UPS, somebody that canotes mail parties or you know, Miller High Life. What you know, if you’re seeing the trend of things getting back in blue, blue chew comes by mail. KBV’s mail. Back comes by mail. Right. It comes in the discrete packaging. How do you not know? They only say it 97 times a day on G channel. How could you not know? It comes with discreet packaging so nobody would know. The blue chew mail bag. All right. Call it that anyway. All right. Uh why don’t I read You sent me one or two. I’m going to read them to you. You’ve pondered I I assume some of these already about because you’re going to write the article. This is from Glenn McBadden to your email. No Americans played a professional golf tournament the week after the RDER Cup, but I think all Euros except Rory played either the Donhill or Sanderson farms. Are the Americans soft? Do the Euros just love the game more? This is from Glenn. Do we have a fact check on that? Is that true that I mean Rasmus played Sanderson? I can’t imagine anyone else did. Did Did Billy Hoe play in the Dunnh Hill or No. Did he Well, he wasn’t on the RDER Cup team. That’s true. Rom didn’t play. Yeah, obviously they wanted to play some of the elite courses in the world. Uh Carni, the old course, Kings Barnes, and where the Sanderson has played. Jackson don’t. Yeah. Uh no, I don’t know. Like I think uh it got me thinking about like uh why isn’t there maybe is like Pebble Beach the closest equivalent to the Dunnh Hill? like an American version of this where you play like three great courses with your uh sort of celebrity uh partners or whatever um or your dad or whatever you want it to be like is that the closest equivalent of it? I think like I think there’s like a historical obligation for Euros to go to the Dunhill. Uh and also like you get to play the old course with your like a family member half the time, right? Like Rory’s said that he likes doing it just cuz his loves playing it with his dad. like you can’t ever get enough of that. Uh and you know, Kings Barnes is what it is. It’s kind of soulless, but it is very pretty uh when you’re there. And uh I I don’t know why someone would willingly play Carnusi. Uh but, you know, it’s certainly got its historical challenges as well, too. I it’s a it’s a good question that I feel like is probably has a lot to do with the fact that the Americans are just so rigid about like their season kind of ends at the Ryder Cup and then they’re just kind of all in it for you know the the hero they’re kind of ticking to clock till the hero if that’s where we probably won’t see Scotty speaking of Rom like what what are the chances we see Scotty you know before the hero probably pretty small so I think um I think the history of it right has a something to do with it like I if we had if they were playing at Pine Valley the week after uh the the RDER Cup some sort of event I think there’s a good chance that some of the pros would go there would show up and be like you know what I’ve never played Fine Valley or like I’ve never played uh you know I remember talking to Rory at Pebble this year and he’s like I’ve never played Cypress Point so I’m going to go out and play Cypress Point uh on you know Tuesday of the week of the Pebble proam and so it it still does draw in like the good course is going to draw in people and maybe Americans don’t have quite the appreciation for the good kind of architecture courses that the Euros do. I don’t know. It’s not their tour. Like they’re not soft. They just didn’t have the event the week after. And by God, when you finish the Ryder Cup, you can you can go away for a little bit. I mean, it’s a point that if this says anything, it’s a European the DP World Tour is insane for scheduling such a historic good event the week after the rider. That is truly insane that why why it couldn’t be, you know, every time there’s a Ryder Cup 2 3 weeks after the Ryder Cup. I maybe the the weather sucked as much as it was already. Also, it wasn’t wasn’t like, you know, moving it back as potential for worse weather. It’s just probably this similar kind of dice roll every time either way. So, yeah, they got Fitz, Hatton, Lowry, I know Bob obviously won it. If you were an American and you got your teeth kicked in at the Ryder Cup, would you would you hop on a No. You know, jet and go over and play a six-hour round at the old course. No, I like this isn’t I don’t know if they’re soft, but it’s just a matter of scheduling and how the cookie crumbled. I don’t think it’s a commentary on Americans being soft. Um, another one for KV mailback question from Matt Lawn. If modern professional golfers want to be truly great, quote unquote, shouldn’t they hold off on marriage and children until their late 30s? Scotty puts an arrow in this argument, but so many others have fallen off after marriage. And he provides some examples which, you know, this is again not our position. This is the emailer’s position. Jordan JT Ricky Brooks DJ. Um, should if you want to be truly great, shouldn’t you hold off on marriage and children until your late 30s? Okay. Thoughts? Did Did Blue Chu plant this question in the calculus here? Uh, you know, I don’t think that, uh, I I hate it when people out there kind of blame like someone’s family life on the drop off in golf that it’s like, oh, I should have never gotten married, should have never had kids. Like, yeah, that’s kind of like the most important things in your life, right? So, like that you’re disappointed that some golfer’s legacy isn’t as good as it was because they chose to delay having kids until a certain uh time. I just doesn’t really make a lot of sense to me. I remember Jack Nicholas used to always say like I I would my promise to Barbara was that I would never spend more than two weeks away from uh the kids and her. And so I feel like it’s easier now to make that kind of promise, right? is you can bring your kids in an RV, you can, you know, I don’t know, Brandon, you feel like you’ve gotten worse at your job since you had a sort of a slew of kids. Like, no. Like, you just kind of figure it out and you juggle it. Like, that’s just like kind of a career in a life. I think it would be pretty insulting to say to Jordan Speed like the reason that you’re bad is cuz you had kids, not because like you just happen to go on like a generational run. Uh, now the flip side of that is does it get harder to like practice maniacally when you have kids and you can’t be there for every bedtime or you know the school drop offs and stuff like that? Yeah, probably. But, you know, part of being a a grown-up is like learning that you have to work to put food on the table and you’re going to miss some moments and it teaches your kids like that you’re going to work hard and that’s an important part of things too. So, yeah. I think like also sometimes this stuff can get into kind of um regrettable like blame the blame the wife, blame the kids territory, which is obviously not where and you see that in other sports. I’d say more often. I don’t really see that in golf, but you see that like oh the girlfriend’s ruining his whatever his his you know the pitcher or the quarterback or something like that. It’s just obviously that’s not not a territory that’s you know justified to wait in wait into. I mean when Nicholson won the masters in what 2010 like there was oh win for the family you know it was like that he had found balance in his life because he was such a family man uh you know so I think that like people use it in both directions and it’s just kind of it’s more like a golfer’s career is going to be a golfer’s career and then it’s people out there are going to kind of try to use excuses for why it isn’t good or is good. Oh, he’s got a great perspective now that he’s got a kid. Like some of it’s all just kind of hot air and [ __ ] And oh by the way, like I know this question wasn’t directed at this subject, but the people that actually have to consider these uh this dilemma or dynamic are LPGA pros who have to actually carry [ __ ] children and raise them and nurse them and like bear them and you know take on like a lot of the mental load and all that stuff. Like, you know, we see that come up over and over again with do you want to be truly quote unquote great? Like their career, I don’t know, do you got to get it done before? Like, that’s the real like sacrifice decision, fork in the road dilemma stuff. And and you know, whoever some American pro having a wife and kids, so he has to practice 45 minutes less or I don’t know. That’s kind of it’s it’s a pretty different world we’re talking about. Um, we want to do a third one. Sure, why not? All right. This is more wreck golf question. This is from Gavin Kaine for the KVB mailbag. First off, I describe myself as a twice a week player. I always walk and carry, but I have a group of friends, not my normal degenerate crew, he adds, who play six to eight times per year while averaging six to eight beers per round. Is it rude for me to walk when I play with this group? Am I being quote too serious out there? Uh, no. I don’t think it’s rude for you to walk. I think you should accept some playful [ __ ] from your friends if you walk like uh and I think the benefit is is that they can carry beers in their carts and you don’t have to put it in your bag. I have friends who have if you look at their golf bags, the right side of the golf bag, the the leg is bent a little bit from the weight of the beers in the uh they would carry in the big pocket. Yeah. Uh cuz that’s kind of how we do is just load up the side pocket and carry them until they’re drank. But I don’t think like anybody should be guilted into riding a cart ever. And in fact, like I think it’s pretty fun to like drink beers and walk at the same time. It makes you feel like a little less uh kind of like a bum at the end of it, like you got something done. And also Mick Ultra ad or something. You’re being active. All right. But yeah, push cart. You’re right. You don’t have to encourage your friends to walk. Some people just aren’t going to do that. They don’t like they don’t want to cross. They want to just sort of sit in a cart and get out and hit a ball, whatever. But uh yeah, don’t don’t find any guilt at all if if you’re just just playfully take [ __ ] from your friends. That’s what you should do is like be willing to accept the the mild bit of grief and you’re not going to miss out on that much like social dynamic like walking or whatever. Yeah, I would be pretty confident and secure in myself to just walk and any [ __ ] they would give me, I’d feel like I was in the right. It’s the people who are in the carts then who feel a little bit like guilty and insecure about it. So, they are annoyed about the whole thing. But yeah, don’t take their feelings into account. Yeah, it’s like those people using fake excuses to use the motorized carts at Disney World. That’s a scourge on the Disney World scene. No, I’m kidding. Prior make those people run wind sprints before to test out. Well, I’m sure there’s many justified people in those. There’s just some that aren’t. Uh, anyways, that does it for this uh Wednesday episode of the Shotgun Start. KV, thanks for jumping in. Uh, the mailbag again is kvtheried.com. We’re designing that up nice and pretty for the website. Wreck, progolf, off-the-wall questions, send them in. We’ll keep it humming uh on a consistent basis. Thank you, Kevin, for joining us. Appreciate it. Anytime, buddy.
With Andy on the road, Brendan! kicks off this episode with a solo segment focusing on Jon Rahm and his Ryder Cup future. Brendan unpacks the ongoing legal battle between Rahm (and Tyrrell Hatton) and the DP World Tour regarding fines for playing unsanctioned (LIV) events. Rahm has repeatedly stated that he will not be paying these fines and has appealed the DP World Tour’s ruling to the point of arbitration. Due to this appeal process, Rahm and Hatton have been able to play in DP World Tour events despite the outstanding fines and were allowed to play for Team Europe at the 2025 Ryder Cup. With the arbitration ruling looming, Brendan looks at whether Rahm’s Ryder Cup status and DPWT status is really in jeopardy, and what it would mean for him (and Team Europe) moving forward. Brendan is then joined by Kevin Van Valkenburg for the rest of this Wednesday episode. KVV offers his take on the Rahm discourse and the news that Rahm will not tee it up until LIV’s 2026 season kicks off in February. From there, the two run through the Schedule for the Week. Many stars are in India for the DP World Indian Championship in Delhi. Rory, Tommy, Hovland, “Benny Booms,” and Brian Harman are among the notables competing at this fall series event. Viktor is back in action after his neck injury at Bethpage and was finally available to speak on the events leading to his Sunday “in the envelope.” Elsewhere in golf, the LPGA’s Asia swing rolls on with another limited-field event without Nelly Korda, the Champs Tour playoffs kick off in the DMV, and Q-School is ongoing. In news, Cadillac is rumored to be back in the fold for the PGA Tour’s return to Doral this year. Brendan and KVV take this as a chance to reminisce about past tournament sponsors they wish would return. Lastly, KVV debuts his new mailbag segment with a few preview questions before expanding on more submissions in an upcoming website column.
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5 Comments
Rahm made his bed…it sucks for golf fans…but he gets zero sympathy or empathy from me. He is only a victim of his decisions.
If Rahm should die, his Ryder Cup status is in doubt. But he might still be a captain's pick even then.
Forgot how well Brendan can solo , good stuff 👌🏻
This may be the most serious October episode in the history of this podcast
John rham is most certainly NOT anywhere near the most important story heading into the 2026 season.
He took the blood money. And he’s withered away as a player and in the public eye because of it.
And really no one cares. We haven’t blinked an eye. Real golf is in a very good place without him.