An odd LIV schedule, Westy Island signs of life, & The Olds want their equity! | The Shotgun Start

It’s a throwback audio episode with Brendan using his Airpods after finding himself in a travel delay. Nevertheless, Andy is on cloud nine over on Westy Island after Lee Westwood qualified for this month’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush. The two reminisce about Westy’s t-4 performance and stand-up morals at the 2019 Open before running through the rest of the 2025 qualifiers from overseas. They are particularly chuffed by Richard Teder, a 20-year-old from Estonia who holed out for eagle in a playoff to secure his spot at Portrush. Andy wonders if Dick Teder is the first player in a new generation of golfers – the Rory (Sabbatini) generation. LIV’s 2026 schedule was leaked and the league won’t make a stop in the United States until mid-May. Brendan and Andy run through the dates and the travel plans needed to play at majors throughout the world, such as going from Spain to Shinnecock Hills for the U.S. Open. From there, it’s time for some lock-hammer-fire picks for the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run. The “Champion House” is back and is sure to be catnip for the entirety of the week. It’s the strongest field in tournament history and there’s no better example of that than Rickie Fowler returning to the Quad Cities for the first time since 2010. Andy shares a little 2010 time capsule to contextualize how long its been since Rickie played the Deere and gets Brendan to sing along to some Ke$ha on a Tuesday afternoon. In news, Adam Schupak reported that numerous PGA Tour legends are unhappy that they’ve been cut out of the new equity program coming as part of the PGA Tour Enterprises company. 36 former players will receive money based on a “career points” system that prioritized PGA Tour wins and starts, leaving European stars like Tony Jacklin and Nick Faldo on the outside looking in. They are, predictably, unhappy and voiced their displeasure to Golfweek, leading to a lengthy discussion from Andy and Brendan. Tune in to CBS Sports Network at Noon ET on Wednesday, July 2, for the Team Europe Wheel of Mules on “Eye on Golf with The Shotgun Start.”

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Greetings and welcome to a Wednesday edition of the Shotgun Start. It is July 2nd. Andy, how are we doing?
Brendan, I’m doing wonderful even though I feel like we’ve had a very big lack of first of the month recordings this year.
There’s, you know, a place that’s been in a in a constant state of hurricanes, natural disasters. The power’s been out for years.
Oh god. Tonight. Tonight. Today. There’s a little flicker of light. A little flicker of light. Proof of life. It’s been ravaged by natural disasters. Westy Island is is back up and running. We got power. I’m so happy for you. I’m happy for Lee Westwood as well, I suppose, but more happy for you. The first months are dodging us, but Westy Island, it’s like one of these distressed distressed assets, I suppose. And like maybe come in like a hero. You got power again. There’s a vision. There’s future. There’s there might be hope yet. And uh yeah, Westy Island may yet be on the comeback trail. He has qualified for the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Port Rush where he played well. Now, it was six years in a different tour ago, but played well nonetheless. And
had a real chance to win.
He did.
If I think if my memory serves me correct, he was in contention, was battling in the rain, the elements, without a rain jacket. Helen was out the bag and he hit into a bush and was was offered a scummy drop, but he refused to take it because he’s a true sportsman.
Refused the drop and and thus took himself out of contention with that drop by by refusing a drop, a free drop. did refused to be scummy and uh but really battled battled the last time we were at Port Rush.
He’s coming coming back. He’s trying to bring some pride to the Magic Sticks, which it’s been, you know, it’s been a tough year. The the biggest highlights for the Magic Sticks have been the play of Luke Palter, Ian Palter’s kid.
Is he even he’s Magic Sticks by relation? Is that what we’re calling Luke? I’m just saying that’s been the highlight of the year for the Magic Sixes, not not any of their play.
Yeah. Um I’m h I mean, look, I was already amped for Port Rush. It’s it’s maybe one of the best. We’ve released our video today. Uh you are prominently featured in it. Uh we got some great footage. I I did sneak in there. Um
and uh I was already amped about it. Obviously, it’s it’s the last men’s major of the year. uh you know it’s at a venue we’ve known not well but come to know quite a bit. We played it and we’re going to be there and and um I think this just takes it to a whole new level. The Westy Island element like really just takes it to and like for the purposes of this podcast it’s it be like the mainstream is it’d be like Tiger Woods is coming back. He’s going to return at the Masters and whatever 2018 or what. That’s what this does for this podcast essentially. That That’s the level it takes Port Rush to uh in a couple weeks time. All right. And addition of of Westy is is greater than than Tiger. We get another chance at him, you know, like
T2. What if he he was T4?
What if he got off the list of of best players ever without a major? Would be amazing. He’s playing senior majors this year and now he finally get what he got across the line in his 50s. Um, the audio quality may not be up to to the recent standards. We have no PJ. I am I am a couple flight delays here on the fly doing it with doing it via AirPods. So, this is a real throwback to maybe the last time we were in Ireland doing AirPods recordings, but uh so the audio may not be up to standard here on the second of the month of July, but uh we’re going to let it rip here. Why don’t I keep going with Open Qualifying, which took place today, Tuesday, July. This is the event of the week this week. All right. Four loces. Burnham and Barrow. Done. Donald was the other one. Royals.
That’s where Westy was metal. He wasn’t didn’t just qualify. He was medalist.
Liv had three medalists between Mean Dean Burmester, Lucas Herbert or Abear as it is, and uh and and Westy. So, three medalists, and they’re the three of 14 that get through from LIP. probably an argument why they should get OWGR points but but not submit an application to get them and West LS West Lanasher Warlports and West Lancasher in addition to Burnham Burnham and Barrow and uh Dun Donald. So those are your four name of those
Burnham and Barrow just feels extremely sort of British. I have no idea. It might not even be in in Britain but I assume it is. That’s a good one. Dun Donald is, you know, whatever. It’s a course up there on the the slice of America in in Scotland. Trying to be trying to be, you know, gentle about it. But yeah, we got that. Uh I was a couple places in that area. You could get a slice of America in Scotland. That Kings Barnes.
Sure. Sure. Um so that it’s a great day for live. I these guys I mean Lee Westy was like I was just you know sweating my ass off in Dallas. Now granted it was a 54hole event but he’s off the red eyee and and he’s on his you know 36 hole qualifier and gets out as a medalist at Dundonnell so congrats to him also joining him from Dundonnell David Young Anel Hidalgo Yasper SP sandborg we could always use more yespers and then Connor Graham an amiter there were five amateurs of the 20 to get through the lit three live boys um at Bernaman Barrow we have Justin Walters Jacob SCV Olison who’s known around here is PBJ
Piss Bear Jr. Correct. Harry,
we could call him We could call him the gentleman in training, too. Uh, I don’t want to say I don’t want to spoil anything. CBS show tomorrow. We’re doing a a mule wheel for the Euros. There may be the fix may be in for you. You may be you may be put on the spot to either calling the gentleman or the PB tomorrow. You may be the fix the wheel may be fixed for you tomorrow. Just trying to trying to give you spoilers that may be coming your way on national television what you’re going to decide there. Um Harry Hall the the the the fake Bryson Capar or the real Bryson Catwear at this point.
Another guy was in the mix in Detroit.
He was and then got over there. That’s true. Uh Frasier Jones is the other one from Bernham and OJ Frell. I don’t think we’ve had an OJ in golf in a while. We got the juice. Juice Frell gets in through burn of a barrel. Congrats to him.
The juice is loose at Royal St. Ports with Dean Bernester Nathan Kimy Curtis Knipes and Sebast Sebastian Cave and John Axelson. And then West Lanks Lucas Herbert Samson Jane. So we got a Samson. That’s great. Uh George Blur, B L O R, Oliver Lindell, um on a playoff and he’s joined by also on a playoff none other
than the first Estonian to ever play in a major championship, Dick Teter. Richard Teter as he’s listed, but Dick Teter as he’s known here. Uh holds up for Eagles after making a double bogey on his 36th hole. You know, you march all day. You look safe for like the last couple hours or last hour, however you cut it off, makes double at the last, has to go to a playoff and holds out a pitch shot to get through out of a playoff. Dick Teter, I was looking at famous Estonian athletes here. It’s mostly Olympic sports. It’s no one that would jump to, you know, sort of the the uneducated American sports consumer that that would be that would be I guess me and you and a lot of our audience. It’s just it’s apparently a basketball nation, a big basketball nation, but I I and I know they’ve been in and around Olympic games, but I don’t recognize a single name as an NBA consumer, a heavy NBA consumer, any Estonians. But they now have Dick Teter. Teick Teter is going to Port Rush. A great a great uh scene out there.
Estonia didn’t have a golf course until 1993. Wow. Pretty good. Got to got to wonder if uh if Rory Sabatini had a had a hand in Dick Teters.
That’s fairing.
He’s only 20. I mean, we’re talking Tokyo games brought lava. Slovak open. You’d wonder. I mean, I we may be creating some sort we may be making some sort of geopolitical fauxpaw. I don’t know here. Slovakia and Estonia could be not on the I don’t know. We’re just maybe jumping to conclusions. But uh
you have to wonder. We had the We have We had the Tiger Generation roll through Pro Golf. Yeah.
Are we now going to be on the Rory generation? The Sabatini Rory Sabatini generation and the Balkans. It could be. It could be. This This could be the next wave of Ryder Cupers, World Golfers, Major Champions. This could be where we’re going. Uh thanks to the BFB, the boy from Bratislava. So, uh, great stuff from open qualifying led by Lee Westwood coming back, uh, to to major. His first major since 2022, which I think was, you know, the high times for Westy Island was that when he was in it at the players and just rumbling around, winning, you know, Bay Hill, he’s all he’s on the leaderboard there just rumbling around all over the place. Um, so that’s our open qualifying. Pretty good lead into Tuesday. So, that was that was a good way to lead things off. Um, while we’re talking about me and Dean, uh, uh, Herbert and Westy, the lift schedule is out for next year. This was a Josh Carpenter
schedule. Why is it insane? Do you want me to read it or just want to go ahead and just let it rip on why it’s insane? I There are five Americanbased events. Uh, I think pretty much the same amount. There’s New Orleans is new and South Africa is new. They don’t play in the United States. Don’t play in the United States of America until I think DC and Virginia uh in May 10th. So, they’re essentially the first five months of the year. They’re they’re abroad. They’ll be home for the Masters. US-based sites are the DC, Virginia, New Orleans, and then they go Chicago, Indianapolis, Michigan, and that’s it. That’s it. Now, I I I don’t know what to make of this. Um, you know, they’re they’re full steam ahead. Scott O’Neal is also talking about like, oh, we’re getting in the women’s game. That’s happening. It’s happening in the next couple years. The Saudi Arabians are going to sponsor and put a bunch of money in the women’s game. We’re have live women. It’s happening. He’s on the record out loud saying it. So, they’re they’re they’re not slowing down. Um, I I I don’t have any grand conclusions from the schedule other than to say it’s just do they want to be the international tour? Do they want to be the full fl and I know they’ve kind of been that so far, but um just three events in the Midwest basically in August is about the only American presence, you know.
I mean, I know uh John Rom’s got to be licking his chops. He’s probably, you know, I think he’s been a little cryptically saying it’s not the best way to prepare for majors. This has been current situation. So, I know he’s he’s got to be floored um with the idea of of prepping for the Masters with uh Riad, Adelaide, Hong Kong, Singapore, and then South Africa three weeks before the Masters. That’s that’s that’s how you lead into the Masters. I know. I know. He’s got to be happy about that. How about they go from PGA to South Korea, Spain, and then Shinikok? Not like
all the way around the world.
One week off. Yeah, that’s big for your little flight which direction game you got going on there.
So PTA is at Aranamink. So they fly
Philly to South Korea.
So Philly to South Korea and then they fly to Spain. They So they keep flying west or west. They keep flying. They fly west for like Yes. Yes. basically a month at the US Open South Korea they go or Spain that they go yeah that’s
but like what do you do there’s one week in between is he going Spain to Scottdale then back to Shinikok it’s kind of an interesting that’s an interesting
I think you just stay on Long Island
not a lot that’s fair that’d be a good place to stay stay that’d be a good place to hang so the live schedule is out I just don’t have a lot of what strikes my my initial impression is they are essentially not in the United States until three events, Chicago, India, and Michigan in August. In subsequent weeks, they are going directly into a PGA tour market with the New Orleans stop. Like that is boom, directly into it if this holds. So,
you think they’re going English Turn?
I was wondering about that. I don’t think they’re going to TPC Louisiana. I think we can rule that one out. But English Turn would be a good throwback. You know,
ironically, there’s no good uh pro golf venue in New Orleans, and we’re gonna have two golf events.
That is that is kind of an incredible nugget, as you put it. That is good.
I also wouldn’t like I wouldn’t describe New Orleans as like a golf town. No, it it’s an incredible town. It’s a great It’s like the best cultural Like I would love to go to New Orleans. I don’t know if I’d go there for a golf trip, but yeah, it’s it’s it’s I’d do a lot of other stuff.
So, honestly, like maybe the last thing I want to do in New Orleans is play golf.
Right. Right. Right. That’s an interesting turn. So, that’s your uh that’s your live schedule. How about our own schedule or the schedule for the week? The instant schedule for the week. It’s a light. It’s light, you know. Um
you got the deer.
I just saw a quote. Dean Burmester said, “I’m super chuffed with the weight. I’m super chuffed with I think he went 10 under or something something crazy like 62 at Royal Pink Sports. Uh the current schedule
you think Dean’s one of the five best players on live. No, five feels like too strong.
He’s in the five. He’s in the six to 10 range. Yeah, I think I might be open to discussing that further.
Yeah, I think I could do that. Guyy’s still he was in it a little bit at Trune last year, right? in his green in his st.
I feel like mean Dean’s gotten better since he went to live. He was pretty good before live, too. Let’s not get Let’s not slight him. But yes, he’s doing well on live. Um on the actual instance schedule for the week, not the next year’s schedule, it is wildly light and you know, we we’ve had doubled up with old man majors, women’s majors, men’s majors, all sorts of stuff. uh where it’s just so complicated, you know, over overlapping. And then we get to this one and I get it’s, you know, it’s a holiday in the United States with July 4th and all that. All we have this week, John Deere Classic and the BMW International Open. That’s all I see on my schedule document um at least on television. So, we got the John Deere Classic. This is a TPC Deerrun Silvis, Illinois. It’s the 25th time uh at Deer Run for this event. So, 25 straight years at Deer Run in the Heartland, that will be on Golf Channel 4 to 7 and then CBS 3 to 6 on the weekends firmly in the Andrew Catalon zone, I believe. I I don’t want to put anything, you know, jump the cart, you know, put the cart before the horse there, but I believe that will be the Catalon zone on CBS.
Coming in for it, do you? And then he’s going to re Renaissance straight from there. Yeah, from Molen. Okay, maybe that’s
miss. Defending champ is Davis Thompson. You remember him? Luke Clan, notable in the field. Jason Day, Ricky Fowler, Max, Sunjm, Zach Johnson, Matt Cooer, Snaker, and the and Davis Thompson are are some of your notables for the deer. Uh, the purse is 8.4 million. I swear to God, yesterday this purse was like 4 and a.5 million. It was the lowest on tour with with you know perfectly acceptable reasons. But now this is pushing nine million in its own way in John Deere classic. Um
how about Ricky? What about him? He’s just grinding for points. Grinding for points.
Day is playing day man. Uh yeah it’s it’s it’s one of their better fields they’ve had. I think one of their strongest by strength of field. We’ve got this in conjunction with uh
sponsor. These are the This is the sponsor exemptions for next year. They’re they’re
you know, Fowler
Day not day has been not day. That’s fine. Yeah. Uh Homer. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That’s going to happen. So this this strength of field is the longest the best they’ve had. And and I saw this via Josh Carpenter earlier, the the 3M Open fellow, the tournament director there, uh said if the 30 of the top 80 in the OGR is going to play in the 3M Open. And the tournament director said if they’re anywhere from number 37 to 125, they’re like, quote, I got to play these events. And we just happen to be in a great spot on the schedule. I mean, that is just this is just a totally singing from a new him sheet here, right? where you got the deer strength of field, the great spot on the schedule. Is this what cutthroat does to you? Is this what it does? You got three M’s and deers fired up.
The more the more competitive you make the overarching calendar, the more competitive each event gets. Is
Yeah, this is not a uh a crazy thought here. Yeah, it’s an it’s it’s Have they figured it out? I don’t know. You might need to tweak a thing here or there. Seems like the Rocket Mortgage is going to two weeks after the open next year. I don’t know if that’s just so they can let the course renovation finish or or settle more. I don’t know, extra two weeks. Um, that’s a great spot because it it would be the Windom spot, I think. So, it’s it’s good for like the the full field events as they’re now called. And this has just been I mean basically since as far as I’ve been doing this the 20 last like 20 years once you get past the US Open it’s kind of all just gobblegook outside of the open championship and then the PGA. It’s just you know shuffle and deck chairs right you used to have the FedEx St. Jude used to be in June. You had the Canadian Open the week after the after the open. You had the AT&T National. Everything’s shifted non-stop except essentially the deer. It’s just like the little engine that could that never changes, is fine being where it’s at and is not, you know, expecting all the world beaters to show up. But maybe they’ve cracked the code here with the schedule.
Um, do you know when the last time Ricky Fowler played the John Deere was?
It’s a great question. Uh, I’ll go 2012. 2010 when he was a rookie. Wow. Now, genuine question. I want to know, is he there for points or is he there to scout as a potential ass cap? There are rumors he could be a apparently Keegan alluded to one to be named captain for Ryder Cup and and he was asked about that at the deer, I believe, today. Anyways,
you like that? Yeah, I I I kind of I wanted I wanted I do like that. I think he’d think he’d be good.
Okay. No real reason. Just think he’d be good. He’s good at congratulating other players on their success, right? He’s very good at that. I think he’s like a genuine good guy.
I agree. He seems like an incredible guy. No, no, no issues or hard feelings with him. It seems like in professional golf. Go ahead.
Um, can I tell you some stuff that happened in 2010?
Sure, please. Uh, there was, uh, the first iPad came out. Love that. It’s going to change the world, I bet.
You want some big uh music songs that came out?
Uh, sure. Absolutely.
Tik Tok by Kesha. Remember that song?
Great one. Absolute clap. Do I remember it? Come on.
Bad Romance by Lady Gaga.
That’s all right. It’s fine. That’s no Tik Tok. Justin Bieber was uh was a big hit. I never really
kind of break out Justin Bieber time and uh Kanye West was still in the good graces of uh of society and making albums.
He’s not Yeah, he’s been he’s been outcast.
The the last season of Lost came out this year, 2010. The last time
I never watched that show.
I didn’t either. Um
that’s just seemed obvious. They’re lost. Are they found or not found? What else is there to discuss? They’re just lost.
Netflix began to to pivot from DVDs to
someone that’s from mail and you go Instagram did not exist did not exist the last time Ricky Fowler played the rock played the uh John Deer
that’s incredible um Barack Obama was the president LeBron James’s decision would have been right around the John Deere Classic.
Oh, I remember that.
He was taking taking his talents to South Beach. I’m sure you remember that.
Oh, remember vividly. And uh Tiger Woods returned to golf after his uh many transgressions. Well, that was that was Masters 20 2010, right? Yes.
2010. This is this the last time Ricky Fowler
played the John Deere Classic.
Kind of wild. Wow. Instagram. No, no longer a thing. Lost. That’s good time capsule there. I think my highlights catch it. I still You could still belt that one out before I leave. Brush your teeth with a bottle of Jack. Yeah, it’s a great tune. It’s a good tune. That’s a classic. It’s come around now. My that comes out of my kids, you know, shuffle, whatever it is. I don’t know if they like on purpose, but yeah, it’s come back around. Kesha. Kasha. Yeah. I I hope my daughter doesn’t hear any Kesha songs. Oh, no. No, no, no, no. Not particularly positive influence on that one. So, um my kids have started asking me questions about what these words mean and some of these they listen to rap. They’re like, ah, you know, this is not a conversation I’m ready to have. So, getting too old. Um, all right. That’s your PG. That’s your John Deere preview. There you go. Great John Deere preview. Do you have your one and done pick for the GPC deer run? I haven’t even looked yet. Shoot. I got
I do. I uh I you know I got to make sure. I’m in a league. I’m not doing well this year. Not doing well. Full buster here so I can look stuff up. Go ahead.
I’m in a league where if I’m at the bottom of a smaller group of friends, I have to pay the the high the highest group of friends uh um entry fee for next year. I want to avoid that. I’m actually grinding a little bit more. Yeah.
I uh I want to go I you know I’m at the point where I got to get I got to go for some sleepers. I can’t be chalking it down the down the fairway here because then I’m not going to make up ground.
So I’m uh I’m going to a podcast favorite. I think this is a bit of a sleeper. Uh
Nico Eavaria. There we go. Nico minute it
he had a cup of coffee in the he threatened last week right in Detroit. He’s coming up threatened last week. Third time playing the deer.
His other performance T2 T17. I think he might be flying a little under the radar. He’s a great putter. This is, you know, this is an event that could that can, you know, kind of turn into a putting contest with the wide fairways and the the the very generous uh greens.
So Nico minute.
All right. Love that. Nico Minute. A win for Nico Minn. He follows the SGS on Instagram. I think Nico may be clued in on Nico Min at this point. A good pick. I’m going Denny McCarthy. Uh I may have already used him. Who knows? That’s kind of the the the constant, you know, potential pitfall every time I make this every week. I’m going Denny McCarthy. He’s in the rental home that has that has delivered, I think, the last three winners, Poston, Straka, and Thompson. You know, they do this rental home and if you stay in this home, you basically are are set to be a winner for the week and Denny McCarthy is is on snuck into I don’t know if he got a loft somewhere or he’s sleeping in the garage or on the air mattress looking for that first win. But he is in the champions rental home this year. So that was my deep data set analysis on Denny McCarthy pick.
I think he’s had like a legit chance to win here a couple times.
That sounds
if my memory serves me correctly. talking about a punny contest, too. He’s not a bad guy to tap. That’s the John Deere Classic. Keep an eye out for that one this year. Uh we’re not going to get too deep into the field on that. Uh on the on the European tour, DP World Tour as it’s now known. We have the BMW International Open at Golf Club Munchin Iikin. This is uh Patrick Reed will show up as is Sergio Garcia. Pat Reed said this last week in Dallas. He’s like, I’m going over. I’m going over to He loves the BMW International Open. played it I think several times both before and after Liv a massive purse of 2.75 million just just peanuts on
think about the P Reed going from making 4 million last week kind of insane to put the entire purse is 2.7 the defending champ is Euan Ferguson uh notables Jose Luis Bistera otherwise known as the urinator Uh Pete and Grace Creek, Wesley Bryan, the uh YouTube content creator or DS DS fella uh has shown up on the DP World Tour
suspended from the PGA tour.
We have Lori the recanter who’s played both sides. Uh he’s in the field. Luke Donald, uh captain, playing captain. Who could say? Maybe he starts winning and we get double playing captains. You think LD’s scouting the the recanner? Uh, he’s scouting something. You know, this is when they start pairing. They getting cheeky over there. They start pairing guys. Yeah, I don’t think it’s the recanner. Could be some others. Uh, Sergio Martin Kimer is a notable uh the host, I would say. You know, unofficial host as a German. Um, and then Patrick Reed is your notable. This is coffee golf as as link season approaches. You know, we got the Scottish Open next week, followed by the Open Championship, 6:30 a.m. to noon on Thursday and Friday, and 6:30 to 11:30 on Saturday and Sunday. So, Prime coffee golf. I think we’re going to have some coffee golf merchandise coming to the coming to the shop here soon. Don’t quote me on that, but maybe after the fourth weekend. Got some good Royal Port Rush uh some good major coffee.
Mugs. The mugs look great.
Yeah. Oh, the mug. It’s a mug on a mug. It’s back. We put a mug on a mug again. It’s good stuff.
You know what’s also great?
What’s that?
If you upgrade your belt game.
I was gonna say we’re not selling belts because I don’t think we could do it as well as Mobjack. I’ve been wearing that all week. M O
Mob Mobjack doesn’t have a C in it. That’s an interesting fact about Mobjack. It’s M O B J A K. No C.
No C for the
Go to mobjack.com. M O B J A K. No C in it. Named after Mobjack Bay near you.
Jack. Yep.
When are you going to go to Mobjack Bay in with your Mobjack Belt?
That feels like a challenge. It feels like you’re I need to make the whatever two and a I think it’s a couple hour drive down to down to this.
Bring your kids down. They could go swim in Mobjack Bay. Do is that a thing? Do people swim in those bays in in Maryland?
Uh yeah. I mean, yeah. They’re all kind of inlets off the larger Chesake Bay, you know. They’re not They’re Yeah, they’re all kind of technically just the Atlantic Ocean.
No, no, no, no, no, no. It’s more the Chesapeake Bay is what you’d call it. It’s way too far from the Atlantic Ocean to call it that. Um,
is the water brackish?
Um, yes. Yes. I think it depends on where you go in. like they’ve they’ve created some beaches like around the uh the Chesake Bay Bridge. Like yeah, there’s some swimming that goes on up there and there’s lovely boating and fishing communities and I’m sure people swim off their boats a lot in the in the bay. Um if you want to do that, you probably wouldn’t want to wear your belt if you’re swimming, but any other if you’re boating, want to look fancy on your boat, want to look fancy out to dinner, want to make sure your pants don’t fall down around your legs or your ankles, this is a good belt. It’s very sturdy. It’s like a high qual I’ve got some belts that just get too flimsy, right? It’s like it’s like do I have a a piece of a string around my waist that could break at any moment. Mobjack is sturdy. It’s a familyrun company. They’re inspired by the American spir American spirit. Uh it’s a luxury lifestyle bet belts handcrafted in the USA. It’s small batches. So small. This is not mass-produced garbage off the assembly line. The small batches using old artisan craftsmanship. their tannery where the leather’s made. Fifth generation. I mean, this this is a company that understands how to make a good belt. Heavy heavy brass buckle. This is good stuff.
I’ve got two. I’ve got Kenny Bunkport and South Hap Hampton. They’re awesome. They They’re both firmly in the rotation. Like the Southampton one’s a lighter color I wear with more like a navy pants or shorts. Uh they’re money. They’re like when I got these legitimately was pumped that they came on as a sponsor. It’s like give me more. The discount code is fried egg. All caps, one word. Fried egg. Gets you 15% off at mobjack.com with no C. M O B JK. Fried egg is a promo code. These are fellas who’ve been in the belt game a while. Know their way around a belt. These aren’t any Tom, Dick, and Harry off the street uh trying to make a belt. They’ve been around the game and they’re they’re they’re humming at Mobjack. So check them out. Use the promo code Friday. All right, that’s your schedule for the week. a little bit of news going on. Um, people want their equity. The olds want their equity.
I can’t even get to that. I can’t I got that could be a three-hour podcast. I’m going to lead with with something real quick. Um, what you think of the RNA announcing the last chance qualifier? Not this year, but next year where 12 guys are going to play on Monday of open championship week. I think it’s at Royal Burkedale proper where the open is.
Kind of love it. Are they gonna be all Are they all gonna be influencers?
Well, that’s what I’m wondering. Like you’re kind of saving for your supper. If you It feels like there’s a better way. I I don’t want to say they’re like Roman emperors like forcing these players to duel and as gladiators to the death, but it it feels like kind of a circus stunt where it’s like you will come perform for us and and and create content or whatever, create intrigue and then only one of you will be able to actually play this this week. Um, I love it as a consumer and and and apparently this was in response to a fan survey that said they want more live golf, but I mean if I’m a player I mean I might be like ah I’m just your kind of sideshow here and I got a one in 12 chance you know who’s going to be invited. I think that’s my other question. But as a consumer I think it’s great. Um, other news the olds are grumpy. I mean the olds are very grumpy. This is a a a long article well reported with multiple on thereord quotes and sources. The olds are already always happy to talk with their name to it. Uh to Adam Shupeack and golfweek.com. The title is skull duggery which would make you think there’s some sort of just great ill nefarious illegal action happening of some sort or betrayal. But is past legends not happy after being left out of PGA Tour equity grants? So the so the thesis here is the PGA Tour is giving, you know, players uh equity based off what they’ve they’ve done for the tour, but it to me it seems like the buck stops at Tiger. Like nothing goes past Tiger. What do you mean? Like no, no one should get anything beyond Tiger
right now. Nobody’s getting beyond Tiger, right? There’s 36 guys who’ve, you know, quote unquote helped contribute and build the modern tour.
So, anybody older than Tiger, Jack Nicholas, Nick Fo, no equity for you, and they aren’t happy about it at all.
Could I could I ask you to lay out I’m going to lay out my favorite favorite anecdote from this piece. You lay out yours and then we can get into it more. My favorite anecdote is Tony Jacqueline complaining about having to spend $250 on attorneys drafting a letter.
Oh, alleged. No, no doubt about it. Tony Jacquine alleged.
Hold on, though. Tony Jacquine, he he was a legend on the European tour, not even the PGA Tour.
So, this is a tricky one. He’s won he’s won 29 times only four times on the PGA Tour. He’s won multiple majors, two majors. A legend. I would love to like what is so lost in this article and not by Shupac, but like these guys feeling like to be dis discarded. No one cares about me. My legacy is mush. I guess that’s not true. This is like an objective point system. Now, did the they do the points, Ron? Separate discussion. But it wasn’t like Jay Monahan sat down and said, you know, that bozo Tony Jacquine shouldn’t get this. It’s just a point system and like this just happens all over these guys. I It’s a tight It’s a fine line to walk. Like respect the the heroes, the legends who built the present, who helped contribute to the present. value them, cherish them, respect them, but we can’t just start cutting them giant checks for this is about a future issue, future tour. Are they is their legacy greater than some guy who’s like 50th in the Fed? Yes. But that’s not the way the world works. It’s like these guys want to go back and say, you know, I should have made one more start here or one more like, yeah, I should have sold my stock when I knew it was going to tank the next day or I should have bought more stock when like this is the way the world works. It’s a little like it’s just very detached from reality. The griping and moaning while also understanding these guys are very important to the history of the game. Can we uh can we talk about Faldo? This is was humorous in here.
Faldo apparently did not make the top 36 spot. So Nick Faldo, the the header is Nick Faldo wrongly assumed he’d be on the list.
Fo 67 pressed on for answers. He texted Vanahan on January 23rd and circle back a week later.
Can I just add in one more anecdote? Like these guys are all bitching about the process and Monahan not giving him enough time. Like the guy’s tour is under attack. He can’t be talking to 75 year olds. Like he’s got so much [ __ ] Far be for me to be empathetic. Like say Jay Monahan’s, you know, doing everything proper, but he can’t be on the phone with guys in the retirement home just bitching about the way things used to be. That can’t spend his time that way.
You know what I’m I’m going to point out?
What? Maybe there’s a there’s a lack of uh executive leadership because the number two is a former rules official.
Sure. Maybe they should have more qualified individuals than an accountant and a rules official as their number two and number three.
An accountant probably would think, hey, you know, we should talk to these guys. Somebody somebody needed to think, well, we better we better make a list of the people that we aren’t giving equity and talk them through this because that seems to be the issue is there was no communication. As as is so often in the in the PGA tour, they did not nail the roll out of this. What a surprise. We whether you agree
agree or disagree with the old
they did not nail this roll out. Here’s Faldo. So during a phone interview with Golf Week, Faldo reread one of the test texting about this equity thing. I assume I am on the list, he wrote. Assumptions is the screw up of life, isn’t it? Fo told Golf Week when he didn’t hear back. Fo left Mahan two voicemails. This is a guy that called golf for 15 years for your tour or whatever. However many years he called it, maybe 20 years. Excited. I think he said 18 cuz he was quick to point it out. 18. I never said a bad word about the tour. I was like, you were compensated. You weren’t just like in the booth for free. Six majors, albeit not a lot of PGA tour success. Another to point out in Jacqueline in Jacqueline’s case,
yeah, someone in the commissioner’s office called on his behalf and promised Faldo they’d schedule a call with the commissioner. That never happened. Finally, at least a month later, he received a letter from Monahan with the tour’s lawyer copied. I was disappointed that Jay couldn’t man up and call me personally. The letter basically said, “I haven’t played enough and won enough.” I guess we were the wrong era. Yeah, that’s the whole point. I’m sorry. Like that’s the whole point. It’s easier to hit a driver now than it was in 198 like it’s easier to get in touch with my parents on the like this is Yeah, there’s different time and circumstances. If you want to call it the wrong era, then fine. You also played in your I don’t know. Man’s running himself ragged. Like I get that Faldo is one of the great consequential players. this doesn’t mean he his legacy doesn’t matter or he’s less of a player. It it like are we supposed to give it to Waller Hagen or the descendants of him or or Bobby Jones or like how does this work? Like I it’s not that kind of measurement. Uh I did like that they said, you know, closer examination. This is Shootek reveals he made only 306 tour starts and he surrendered his tour cart in a fight over the home circuit release. You know, he made no more than nine tour starts in any season between 87 94 and cost him from being in the like I don’t know. He decided to not play the PGA Tour that much. And this is where you’re left. That doesn’t mean it’s six majors or less. It’s the PGA Tour.
How about the Cookie Monster making the cut? That was I love cookie. He’s like I I have no idea. I don’t know. Bob talking to Papa. It’s like basically he I don’t know how said Cook. Honestly, I must have been the last guy in um 11 PJ tour wins and basically 800 starts. They did add he won 10 times of the PJ tour champions, which like is that are we adding that to the points list? David Graham, a big omission. uh you know, won multiple majors, a PGA and a US Open, eight PGA Tour titles. Uh Dave Stockton was a a big omission uh in there as well. Uh Larry Nelson was presumably rumored to be off, but is in Carrie Player spilled the beans. So Larry Nelson’s not on, but no, he is.
So yeah, there’s a lot of just speculating.
I think the the thing we’ve learned here is that the PGA Tour, they’ve they’ve made a point of this. They don’t value major championships. They matched they value tour wind which to I you know honestly I think you could make an argument that that that’s the right policy. We’re doing a lot of BJ tour defense here, but like look, call the balls and strike. Like, come on, guys. Complain about the $250 you had to pay the attorney to draft the letter.
The Jaclyn, the Jaclyn $250 complaint. It’s just unbelievable. It’s just crazy, said Jacqueline. And you’ve got guys like Allan Guyberger, myself included, we’ve got nothing. We’ve got no consideration either. You know what? They gave you consideration. It’s not like they don’t give a [ __ ] about you anymore. This is a very objective points list. Quote, “It’s skull duggery.” That is a good word for it. I mean, skull duggery like implies something, you know, totally deceptive is going on. And I get that the transparent is swindling, fraudulent, some thesaurus words for skull duggery. Fraudulent, swindling, uh unscrupulous, underhanded, like it’s not that. It’s just it hasn’t been the most transparency transparent, I suppose. But I don’t know. It’s It’s hard for me. Like I get it. You did a lot in your time and you built the tour. Like you straight up you guys helped build professional golf. But it’s an objective points discussion and you know if you played a lot of European tour that is not this tour. And just to be clear it’s $75 million in equity based on career points going to 36. Adam Scott was sort of thrown out as the guy that had to talk about. He’s like look it’s really hard. It’s really hard about David Graham. Like he’s a hero of mine. This is really hard. When we talk to the the financeers and the bankers, I sleep well at night knowing we pushed for so much more than they than had initially been in the plan. They’ve pushed for a lot more is what what you know Adam Scott did. Um Nicholas Player Watson Trevino Davis Love and Fred Couples are north of 120. Apparently Steve Elkington was rumored to make it and Trevino and this article says how did he get it? Trevorino said about Steve Alkington. The tour is believed this is Chupac believed to be treating his two wins at the players as the same value as his one major, the 95 PGA, which has something to do with it despite the fact 62-year-old Elkington, who made 565 career starts, isn’t a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. So then these guys get into it like Jacqueline’s in the Hall of Fame. Rightfully so. That is not the same thing as this uh assessment and analysis. And these guys are like, “How are how am I not doing it? I’m in the Hall of Fame.” It’s not the same measurement.
It’s a measurement is based off the PGA Tour. Which is funny
because it’s like it’s like if you time warp if you warp your time warp yourself to the players and you’re standing on the first T and they don’t announce major wins, they announce player wins. Players wins. PGA Tour wins.
Yes. I love the other FAO quote. He was apparently talking to Shootback. He went back and reread his text asking about this equity thing. I assume I am on the list. Just that was his text. I assume I’m on the list. They close it with a kicker. He says, “It sounds like it’s participation prizes over winning, doesn’t it?” My goodness, it does seem to be the way it’s going. Yeah. I mean, this isn’t a competition, though. It is. It’s about membership. It’s about investment. Did you invest in the tour by participating? Did you were you present? This isn’t a competition. It’s not a straight up like who won the most, who’s in the Hall of Fame, who won the biggest events by subject some subjective measure. It’s it’s not this isn’t a competition. And to suggest this like I hate participation trophies like it is this isn’t what that is. It’s not a competition. They didn’t prize that over.
Yeah. If they if they invited all the people complaining to TPC Sawrass and did like a a a creator classic for equity and one guy got it of all the olds. This is insane. This is I Gary Player said, “Can you imagine how they feel just being discarded like that? They’re not being erased. They’re not being they’re not being taken out of the Hall of Fame. No one’s doing this. These guys are so mad. This is not I I mean this is how the cookie crumbles. I don’t want to say tough [ __ ] but like this is what the tour is doing to stop the live threat and retain its own talents now. They can’t are they all socialists and want just should every you know person in America over 80 years old just get you know a million like are they big social security fans? I don’t know. like this there’s just so many howitzers of quotes I have to like appar the best one the vesting there’s this is an insane line to read I just it’s one after another it’s lengthy well reported keep reading it read it in in hole at golfweek.com the the players and agents complained about the vesting schedule like agents get the hell out of here with the agents because it is a longer than normal vesting schedule it’s eight years. So 50% of the grant value will vest after four years, 25% six, 25% after eight. So the agents are mad about the vesting schedule. And yeah, Jack’s going to be like 100 years old when the eight, you know, and he’s going to be old. They’re going to be older to when they’re fully vested. Um, what I like also is now you have to if you want your equity like like Cshaw, Curtis Strange, Marco Mera, there they are required to do as many as 40 sponsors activities to be fully vested.
Oh my god.
So the 2024 World Golf Hall of Fame ceremony in June, this was at Pioners, is going to be light until members who are also in line or equity shares were informed the day before that their attendance at the ceremony would count as two points toward meeting their quota for the year. Sir Trevino, Ben Krenshaw, Curtis Strange, and Marcom, Marco Mea, who are all believed to be inside the 36 suddenly had their schedules free up and were late additions to the Pineher ceremony. There you go. You’re getting free points. As such, sponsors have been given a list of legends who need to quote provide services and can be used for sponsorship activation. A common complaint among some of the 36 players who, this is a fair, I kind of get this one. A common complaint among the 36 players who’ve been asked to jump through these additional hoops and sponsor uh services is best summed up by one player trying to play by the rules. Quote, “Haven’t we already done all this [ __ ] which you know, you did do a lot of, you know, 30 years of sponsors activities, but again, this is it’s not free money, but it’s there for you. Just show up to the Hall of Fame ceremony. Do this for so and so FedEx or something like that.” just in a bunch of incredible details and quotes in this store.
How about the Dave the Dave Stockton quote? You’re either appreciated or you’re not. They’re not being discarded. They’re not being unappreciated that they read this in such black and white like somebody’s they’re not putting them in the crowd and they’re not even that’s not happening. I love that Podrick Harrington apparently like you know as he goes nuts he gets tried to crack the code and thinks he did crack the code with the point system like he got down to it and had like he was like oh I think Jeff Slumman is going to be the last guy on by my circumstances he got in the weeds um he started doing the math he said 55 points is a break even point so you get uh majors and players earn five points tour championship appearances and WGC wins three and tour events, too, and a point for each year of membership on tour. And he went to Davis Love the Third. He’s like, “I think you got it. I think you’ve cracked it.” So, Harrington just, you know, got in the weeds, did his little John Nash routine or whatever, and apparently got the crack the code, but but you know, the tour won’t comment or say anything as as if he really did. But, uh, you know, Davis Third is like, “I think you got it.” And he said, you know, I think Slumman, Fred Funk, and Lee Jansen are on the bubbles by by Harrington’s map. So, it is interesting. Cookie being the one out. Stockton was he was pissed that apparently a twoman event he played. There was like a twoman event. Uh, let me find it. Um, he won the 1967 Hag and Hag and Hage Scotch Invitational Forsomes with Lorie Hamler and Lacosta Resort. But somewhere along the line, the tour took away credit for being a for it being an official victory. So the Hagen H 67 Hagen H Scotch Forsomes stopped being an official victory. He says, I like the sound of 11 wins more than 10. You know, it’s no different than today’s Zurich Classic, which is a twoman event. He said he wondered if one more victory would have gotten him across the threshold into 36, but he said, “I’m not losing sleep over it. You either appreciate it or you’re not.” So that is interesting. Like look, does a something that used to count by as a win not count by a win anymore? And that could be the difference. It’s tough. It’s hard. It’s Yeah, it’s could be a neverending thing on where you cut the cut the cut the cord, right? Or where you cut it off. Uh an incredible article of guys talking about not being appreciated, spending money on attorneys, uh you know, participation prizes. Baldo is a legend. He’s a legend. I just this is not what the money is for necessarily. You have to worry about the future. It’s not in the best interest, business interest of the tour to start just handing out hundreds of millions of dollars to guys who are 85, guys who are 75, guys who, let’s be frank, aren’t contributing to the current and future value of the PGA Tour. Did they build it? Of course. But like that can’t be a that can’t be a a realistic practical business practice right now. So anyways, great article. This is like uh this is like the college football playoff. The more they expand it, there was always going to be this article with the first few guys out complaining.
I mean, it’s hilarious about Trevino. How the hell did he get in? Or Cookie, how did I get in? How was grandma? Like guys just wondering what happened. So uh that’s good. That was always going to be an issue. It’s dicey. So, uh, yeah. And someone took a shot at at Tiger, too. Was great. Like, I mean, Tiger built the freaking tour like that. Like, he literally, you know, everything nowadays is all going back to Tiger. So, so that that was amusing that like I don’t know. Tony Jacqueline Jacqueline cited Tiger Woods being handed 50 million in player impact program money. I I’m sorry. like Tiger’s value and contributions to the tour are the whole kitten kaboodleoodle these days and so yeah it’s just a lot of griping. Anyways, oh there he is. PJ Clark has joined in here at the 52 minute mark. I don’t even know if you can talk.
Fresh off a day of golf.
I think I can talk. Can you hear me?
I don’t have my mic but we can hear you.
Good news. Somebody plays golf on this podcast. Not not well, but but I I tried. All right, let’s let it go. I think Andy, you going to try and go play golf? Try and go play golf.
All right. Um, everyone in
only nine holes, though. I don’t get to play all 18 because of this podcast. So,
that’s true. Well, we’ll be P. You’re taking Denny McCarthy, too. You and BP are doubling up again.
Yeah, it’s He’s staying in the He’s staying in the house. I assumed you did house catnip call of the week. Yes, I did do that. I did do the Champions House. Going with the house.
Okay, there we go. All right, we’ll be back.
CBS tomorrow, Wednesday. Mule wheel for the Euros is coming with a little a little trick for Andy. Uh, we’re going to be back.
It’s not a trick if you tell me what’s happening.
I did. I I spilled the beans, PJ. Um, what’s my personal opinion on There is no personal opinion. I’m the president of the DJ. Um, and then Friday we’re doing an all mostly golf advice for the travel holiday travel this weekend. Be out early Thursday. Send the golf advice emails to sgs golfadvice atgmail.com. Do a bunch of those. Some AMA stuff. Uh, we’re going to do that for the Fourth of July holiday.
I got some questions that people ask me beyond my wife asking me if the kitchen light was fixed on my personal Instagram. We could fire in there.
I saw that. Let’s let it rip. Send your email. That’s just
Are the dining room lights still not fixed? Got to get an electrician in. All right, everybody. Enjoy your Wednesday. We’ll be back with you uh Wednesday on CBS and Thursday afternoon.