The Fried Egg Golf Podcast

Following Rory McIlroy's repeat at Augusta National, Andy Johnson is joined by 2008 Masters champion and CBS lead analyst Trevor Immelman to recap the 2026 Masters Tournament. Andy and Trevor discuss McIlroy's sixth major championship victory and the path that led him to just the fourth back-to-back win at the Masters. They also highlight a runner-up finish from World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and how a middling Friday round likely prevented him from winning a third green jacket. The two touch on other top contenders from the week such as Cameron Young, Justin Rose, and Sam Burns before briefly looking ahead to next month's PGA Championship at Aronimink. Visit MBUSA.com/The-Masters for more. Use code SGS30 for 30% off at Bdraddy.com.

With the first men's major of 2026 finally upon us, Andy Johnson is joined by Brad Faxon to preview the 90th playing of the Masters Tournament. Fresh off a trip to Augusta National, Brad shares insight from his recent round and details what makes this one of professional golf's greatest tests. Brad and Andy discuss a talented class of Masters first-timers, including PGA Tour winners Jacob Bridgeman and Chris Gotterup, before diving into other contenders like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. To wrap things up, the two make their official picks to win this year's green jacket on Sunday, April 12th.

Andy Johnson is joined by two-time Masters champion and World Golf Hall of Famer Bernhard Langer. In this wide-ranging interview, Langer discusses his storied career with over 130 worldwide victories. He provides insight into his two wins at Augusta National ahead of next week's Masters Tournament and shares stories of his time on the European Tour alongside other stars like Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo. Andy and Bernhard also discuss the Champions Tour and what it takes to sustain success in golf into your sixties.

Ahead of next week's release of "Rory McIlroy: The Masters Wait" on Amazon Prime, Andy Johnson is joined by director Drea Cooper on this episode of The Fried Egg Golf Podcast. Andy and Drea discuss his latest documentary, focusing on Rory McIlroy's final round at the 2025 Masters Tournament. Drea walks Andy through the process of making the film, revealing details about shooting at Augusta National and interviewing Rory and his family. Andy is then joined by producer PJ Clark to run through their current ten favorites to win the 2026 Masters with just two more weeks until the tournament. Visit ⁠Cobalt⁠ and use code "FRIEDEGGPOD15" for 15% off: ⁠https://cobalt-golf.com/discount/FRIEDEGGPOD?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fdiscountable-products

Andy Johnson is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Kevin Van Valkenburg and Joseph LaMagna to recap the 2026 Players Championship. The three dissect the course setup at TPC Sawgrass and the challenges that Pete Dye's Stadium Course presented to the best players on the PGA Tour last week. Andy, Kevin, and Joseph then discuss the event's winner, Cameron Young, and project where his career could go from here following his biggest win to date. They also touch on Scottie Scheffler's continued struggles, Brian Rolapp's press conference, and much more from one of the busiest weeks on the professional golf calendar. Thank you to ⁠Optum⁠ for their support of our Players Championship coverage. Use code FriedEgg for 15% off at https://www.mobjak.com/

On a very special episode of The Fried Egg Golf Podcast, five-time major champion and career grand slam winner Rory McIlroy sits down with Kevin Van Valkenburg to talk legacy, career goals, life after golf, and his bucket list courses. Thank you to ⁠⁠Optum⁠⁠ for their support of our Players Championship coverage.

Andy Johnson is joined by Sean Martin of the PGA Tour to preview the upcoming 2026 Players Championship. Andy and Sean discuss the quest for a third win at TPC Sawgrass for both Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, breakout players to watch like Jacob Bridgeman and Chris Gotterup, and make their picks for who wins the PGA Tour's premier event. They also preview PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp's Wednesday press conference as rumors swirl regarding the 2027 "Scarcity Schedule." The second half of this episode is a re-airing of Garrett Morrison's "Fried Egg Stories" episode on the making of TPC Sawgrass. Originally airing on March 13, 2020, Garrett tells the story of how commissioner Deane Beman and architect Pete Dye turned that land into a new kind of golf venue—and how the pros reacted when they competed on it for the first time. This episode features interviews with Beman, U.S. Open and Players champion Jerry Pate, architect Tom Doak, TPC Sawgrass project manager Vernon Kelly, and journalists Adam Schupak and Sean Martin. It includes music from Assaf Ayalon, Avi Goldfinger, Maya Johanna, Ian Post, and Swirling Ship, and Kevin McLeod. Thank you to Optum for their support of our Players Championship coverage. Visit ⁠Cobalt⁠ and use code "FRIEDEGGPOD15" for 15% off: https://cobalt-golf.com/discount/FRIEDEGGPOD?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fdiscountable-products

With Brian Rolapp's pre-Players press conference less than a week away, Andy Johnson is joined by Kevin Van Valkenburg and Joseph LaMagna to discuss the potential changes coming to the PGA Tour schedule. The three draft their "must-have" events as they attempt to put together an ideal 25-event schedule for 2027. Andy, Joseph, and Kevin decide which events will stay and choose a few longtime Tour stops to cut as the "scarcity schedule" reportedly gets underway next year. Visit your local Golf Galaxy and download the Golf Galaxy mobile app to upgrade your game! Check out the free edition of GolfShot in the Apple Store or Google Play or upgrade for all the unique and powerful features of Golfshot Pro.

Andy Johnson is joined by CBS Golf's Shane Bacon on the latest Fried Egg Golf Podcast. They discuss Anthony Kim's comeback and his recent win at LIV Adelaide, Patrick Reed's move to a full DP World Tour schedule for 2026, and the potential changes to the PGA Tour's schedule coming next year. Visit ⁠Cobalt⁠ and use code "FRIEDEGGPOD15" for 15% off: https://cobalt-golf.com/discount/FRIEDEGGPOD?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fdiscountable-products

Andy Johnson chats with 2009 Open Championship winner and reigning Charles Schwab Cup champion Stewart Cink on this episode of The Fried Egg Golf Podcast. Stewart discusses his long career in professional golf, with 2026 marking the 30-year anniversary of his first win on the Nike Tour. The two talk through how technology has changed the pro game, Stewart's time with his son on the bag, how Ryder Cup USA has changed over the last two decades, and more. Visit ⁠Cobalt⁠ and use code "FRIEDEGGPOD15" for 15% off.

Andy Johnson is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Kevin Van Valkenburg and Joseph LaMagna for an early look at the 2026 Masters. The three of them discuss players to watch between now and mid-April, including Chris Gotterup (who won in Phoenix after this was recorded), Ludvig Åberg, and Cameron Young. Andy, Kevin, and Joseph also debate whether Jordan Spieth or Justin Rose can make a run at this year's tournament. To wrap things up, they look at Rory McIlroy and what we can expect from his first title defense.

2008 Masters champion and CBS Golf Lead Analyst Trevor Immelman returns to The Fried Egg Golf Podcast. Trevor joined Andy Johnson for a "State of the Union" discussion ahead of last week's Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. The two discuss young players to watch on the PGA Tour, Brooks Koepka's return from LIV, the new CBS broadcast booth, and much more. Trevor also makes a few predictions for the 2026 season after last year's impressive effort! These two will be back with a recap of each major championship this year. Use code "FriedEgg" for 15% off at mobjak.com

On this episode of The Fried Egg Golf Podcast, Andy chats with golf architect Blake Conant. The two discuss Blake's transition from shaper to architect, his experiences working with the likes of Tom Doak and Brian Schneider, and the differences between working on a solo project and a project as part of a team. Andy and Blake also dive into some golf architecture history, discussing Langford and Moreau, Alister MacKenzie, and more. To wrap up this episode, Andy answers a mailbag question received from a Fried Egg Golf Club member!

Andy Johnson is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Kevin Van Valkenburg and Joseph LaMagna to discuss some of the biggest storylines in men's professional golf in 2026. To start, the three talk through Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour and Brian Rolapp's Returning Member Program that allowed him to do so. They then transition into a conversation about the future of LIV Golf and where the league may go from here after losing one of its biggest-name players back to the PGA Tour. Finally, Andy, Kevin, and Joseph each present three storylines that they're watching this season, including breakout players, a potential return to peak form for a former World No. 1, and a second year of Ben Griffin's rise to the top of the game.

Andy Johnson is joined by 2022 FedEx St. Jude Champion Will Zalatoris for this episode of The Fried Egg Golf Podcast. Andy and Will have a wide-ranging conversation, covering topics such as Will's health entering 2026, his move to a broomstick putter, and growing up with Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth. The two also discuss Will's repeated success at Augusta National, the state of the United States Ryder Cup system, and Brooks Koepka's return to the PGA Tour.

The Yolk with Doak is back! Andy Johnson kicks off 2026 alongside Tom Doak for a three-hour conversation. The two discuss Tom's social media hiatus and how Instagram has impacted his career as a golf course architect before discussing some of his recent work at Wild Spring Dunes, Childress Hall, and much more. The two wrap things up in the last hour with some listener questions from Fried Egg Golf Club members, submitted via the new discussion forums on thefriedegg.com.

For the final episode of 2025, Andy Johnson is joined by Jason Meersman, golf course superintendent at The Patterson Club in Fairfield, CT. As part of our superintendent series, Andy and Jason discuss the club's ongoing renovation and the importance of preserving its history while also adding new-age enhancements to the course.

After a few weeks of professional golf Down Under, Australian golf legend Geoff Ogilvy joins Andy Johnson on The Fried Egg Golf Podcast. Andy and Geoff unpack the 2025 Australian Open at Royal Melbourne and Geoff shares his thoughts on where his national championship stands in the men's professional game. The two also discuss a potential "world-tour" schedule for the pros before previewing the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club. As both International captain and part of the architecture team that redesigned Course Three at Medinah, Geoff has plenty of knowledge about one of next year's biggest events.

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of his first newsletter, Andy Johnson is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Garrett Morrison, Will Knights, and Brendan Porath to look back at the last decade of content. The four share stories about the beginning stages of the company, how each of them joined the Fried Egg team, and highlight some of their favorite trips they've taken so far. They discuss growing a brand through the COVID pandemic, standout pieces of content, and moments that stick out in each of their minds that they knew things were going well.

Andy Johnson is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Kevin Van Valkenburg and Joseph LaMagna for a year-end roundtable on men's professional golf. The three first decide between Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy for 2025's Player of the Year before discussing their favorite stories and breakouts from this season. Andy, Kevin, and Joseph also pick a few breakout players for 2026 and preview next year's major championships as anticipation builds for a new year of pro golf.

Andy Johnson returns with another mailbag episode of The Fried Egg Golf Podcast just in time for your Thanksgiving travels. Andy gives his thoughts on Golf.com's new Top 100 Courses list before answering listener questions about the "golf bubble" in Aiken, South Carolina, the future of Yolk with Doak episodes, and more. He then brings producer PJ Clark on for a few topics as the two discuss what they're looking for from TGL's second season, their favorite golf clubs, and what PGA Tour player is most like Andy's 8-3 Chicago Bears.

Garrett Morrison returns to the feed as he joins Andy Johnson for a golf architecture mailbag episode! Andy and Garrett answer questions submitted by Fried Egg Golf Club members using FEGC's new discussion forum. The two discuss the future course ownership models, the process of rating nine-hole courses, and how artificial intelligence will impact the golf design business moving forward.

Andy Johnson sits down with Fried Egg Golf's Kevin Van Valkenburg to discuss some of the biggest questions facing the game of golf. The two dive into their thoughts on the future of the game, touching on Artificial Intelligence, the impending rollback, and how professional golf will handle its first gambling scandal. Andy and Kevin also debate the future of golf media and how the content landscape will continue to evolve in the coming years.

With the PGA Tour's FedEx Fall almost done, Andy Johnson is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Joseph LaMagna to discuss five standout players from the fall swing. The two discuss the emergence of Michael Brennan and his stunning off-the-tee performance at the Bank of Utah Championship, Rico Hoey's move to a broomstick putter, a former top college player that seems to be rounding into form as a pro, and more. Andy then chats with team members Garrett Morrison and Matt Rouches following their Fried Egg Golf Club trip to England. Garrett and Matt recap their trip to courses like Royal St. George's, Woking Golf Club, and more. The two also share their thoughts on experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime trip with a group of FEGC members and what they're looking forward to creating using footage captured overseas.

Following "The Vintage" at Brambles, Andy Johnson sits down with former Stanford golfer Henry Shimp to discuss playing a modern course with 20-year-old (or older!) clubs. Andy and Henry talk about how the change in equipment impacted match play strategy and break down Henry's first time using these types of clubs. Henry then shares three of his hottest takes with Andy, turning the conversation to the future of golf course architecture, Stephen Curry's golf career, and the 2027 Ryder Cup captaincy.

Fresh off her second U.S. Women's Mid-Am win, Ina Kim-Schaad joins Andy Johnson on this episode of The Fried Egg Golf Podcast. Andy and Ina discuss the 2025 U.S. Women's Mid-Am at Monterey Peninsula Country Club and Ina's golf journey. Ina details why she decided to take a hiatus from playing and what led her back to the sport before sharing more about her work as a mental coach for golfers. Ina provides tips for improving your own golf game and insight into what has helped her become one of the top mid-ams in the world. Andy also asks about Ina's outfits from MPCC which made the rounds on social media throughout the week ahead of her latest win.

Andy Johnson begins this episode by sitting down with golf's "Mr. Hawaii," Mark Rolfing. Mark, a longtime NBC broadcaster, provides firsthand insight on the state of the golf courses at Kapalua amid a historic drought. With the PGA Tour moving The Sentry away from Kapalua's Plantation Course, Andy and Mark discuss the future of professional golf in Hawaii. Mark also shares stories from his time covering the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black and his work with Coore & Crenshaw at Sand Hills in Nebraska. On the back half of this episode, Andy chats with Don Cross, the longtime superintendent at Skokie Country Club. Don discusses how his job has changed over his 50-year career working turf and how new technology has helped golf course management at Skokie.

On this two-part episode, Andy Johnson is first joined by Joseph LaMagna and Garrett Morrison to look back at how Bethpage Black fared as a Ryder Cup venue. The three discuss the various issues with the course setup before looking at future Ryder Cup host sites. Andy, Joseph, and Garrett also pitch some of their own ideas for where to host one of golf's biggest events. Andy then sits down with 2025 U.S. Mid-Amateur winner Brandon Holtz to discuss his win at Troon Country Club. They recap Brandon's week at his first-ever USGA event and also dive into the topic of reinstated amateur status in golf.

Following Team Europe's win on American soil at the 2025 Ryder Cup, Andy Johnson chats with Golf Channel's Johnson Wagner about the event and where Team USA goes from here. The two trade notes from their on-the-ground experience at Bethpage Black, highlighting standout players like Tommy Fleetwood and Cameron Young before moving to a bigger discussion on the state of the American side. Andy and Johnson dive into why they believe Team USA has struggled in recent Ryder Cups and throw out names for potential future captains in 2027 and beyond. They also discuss the behavior of the fans at Bethpage Black and how the crowd impacted the tournament, especially on Saturday afternoon.

It's finally Ryder Cup week and Andy Johnson is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Kevin Van Valkenburg for a traditional "Five Things" preview episode. The two discuss the biggest storylines ahead of the 45th playing of the Ryder Cup, including Rory McIlroy's insistence that Team Europe will win on the road and how Keegan Bradley will deploy Bryson DeChambeau for Team USA. Andy and Kevin also highlight individuals such as Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland, and Matt Fitzpatrick as players they're watching at Bethpage Black. Stay tuned for continued coverage of the 2025 Ryder Cup across all Fried Egg Golf platforms.

Andy Johnson is joined by three Fried Egg Golf staffers to discuss the first-ever Fried Egg Guides! These guides are a new feature on thefriedegg.com and will feature in-depth breakdowns of golf courses and surrounding activities that can be used to plan your next golf trip. First, Andy chats with Brendan Porath about his guide covering Northern Ireland following their Eggsplorations trip overseas last year. Will Knights then shares his thoughts on Sand Valley and includes some other activities for those traveling to Wisconsin. Lastly, Andy and Pinehurst local Abby Liebenthal run through the Fried Egg Guide to the North Carolina Sandhills.

Andy Johnson chats with Designing Golf host Garrett Morrison about two golf courses hosting team events in September - Cypress Point and Bethpage Black. First, the two recap the Walker Cup at Cypress Point Club, with Andy sharing on-site observations and Garrett commenting on what he saw on the broadcast from home. They commend Golf Channel's coverage of the event and use of drones to show off the unique aesthetics of the course's ocean holes. Andy and Garrett also discuss how the course held up against elite players using modern technology, especially in a match play format. They then transition to an early preview of Bethpage Black, host of the 2025 Ryder Cup later this month. Garrett shares his takeaways from his first visit to the course and highlights some holes to watch as the Americans look to win back the Ryder Cup from Team Europe.

Ahead of this week's Walker Cup at Cypress Point, Andy Johnson is joined by Geoff Shackelford for a comprehensive preview of the 50th playing of the event. The two discuss the highly anticipated exhibition featuring some of the world's best amateur golfers at perhaps the world's greatest golf course. Andy and Geoff unpack some of the architecture of Cypress Point and highlight a few holes that may stand out in this weekend's matches. They then point out a few players to watch on each side, as well as give some viewing advice for those attending the matches as spectators.

After this morning's Ryder Cup roster announcement, Andy Johnson is joined by The Athletic's Gabby Herzig to react to Keegan Bradley's captain's picks for Bethpage. The two unpack the six selections and Bradley's choice to not participate as a player, instead opting to select Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, and Sam Burns from the group on the roster bubble. Andy and Gabby discuss potential pairings for the Americans at Bethpage Black, including who plays with Bryson DeChambeau in his return to the Ryder Cup. They then transition into some Tour Championship cleanup as Gabby shares on-the-ground insight from Tommy Fleetwood's first PGA Tour win. Andy and Gabby close things out by wrapping up the 2025 PGA Tour season and choosing their favorite events and winners from this year.

Andy Johnson is back with a look back at the 2025 U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, California. He is first joined by the 2025 champion, Mason Howell, to discuss his week of play. Mason is a high school senior who will play golf at the University of Georgia next fall. Andy and Mason touch on Mason's impressive summer, his plans for the Walker Cup, and look forward to some professional starts Mason has earned by way of his U.S. Am victory. Andy then chats with Mid-Am Andrew Bailey to get a sense of the course setup at Olympic Club and how the event compared to past USGA events Andrew played in.

Andy Johnson is joined by NBC on-course reporter Jim "Bones" Mackay for a wide-ranging conversation about the 2025 PGA Tour season and what's still to come this year. The two discuss Scottie Scheffler's two major wins and historical comparisons to Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus before hitting on two upcoming team events. Andy and Bones start with the 2025 Walker Cup at Cypress Point, Bones's favorite course in the world. They then dive into the upcoming Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. Bones shares his experiences as a caddie in the Ryder Cup and looks ahead to some pivotal holes that will determine who takes home the trophy in September. For more, check out Bones on Aon's Bethpage Course Insights, live on the Ryder Cup YouTube channel and RyderCup.com/aon on Monday, August 18th.

On this two-part episode, Andy Johnson first previews the upcoming U.S. Amateur Golf Championship, taking place at The Olympic Club in San Francisco next week. Andy provides insight into the golf course and recent changes made by architect Gil Hanse before diving into four players to watch as next week's tournament progresses. Andy then sits down with Hazeltine National Golf Club superintendent Chris Tritabaugh to discuss the new short course at the club, setting up championships for both the USGA and PGA of America, and his career in turf management.

Andy Johnson is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Joseph LaMagna for a comprehensive look at the 2025 men's major season following the Open Championship at Royal Portrush. The two share takeaways from each of the four major championships in 2025 and discuss storylines such as the ups and downs of Rory McIlroy's Masters, Scottie Scheffler's struggles on the front nine of Sunday at Quail Hollow, and a U.S. Open that was anyone's to win until the final putt dropped. After going through all four majors, Andy and Joseph highlight players who had disappointing years and make their picks for the best 2025 major seasons without a win.

2008 Masters champion and CBS Golf analyst Trevor Immelman joins Andy Johnson to discuss the Open Championship and wrap up the 2025 men's majors. The two unpack Scottie Scheffler's resounding win at Royal Portrush and the historical context of his fourth major championship before turning 30. Andy and Trevor also talk through Scheffler's comments about the place golf has in his life that made headlines earlier last week. After closing out the Scottie discussion, the two then move on to a brief Ryder Cup preview after strong performances from Chris Gotterup and United States Captain Keegan Bradley overseas.

As a special bonus episode ahead of the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, enjoy an interview with Rory McIlroy from our Eggsplorations feed in March 2024. The greatest golfer in the history of Northern Ireland discusses his roots there, his favorite golf memories growing up, and his favorite courses and earliest memories of Royal Portrush and Royal County Down. Rory fields questions from TPC Sawgrass as he prepped for The Players while Andy Johnson and Brendan Porath were across the Atlantic in his home country acquainting themselves with the golf culture and a few of the world class courses that Rory came to know in his earliest days as a junior standout. He also explains this golden age of pro golf success for the island, which boasts five different major winners since 2007 after a 60-year drought. There’s also plenty of banter and insight into what it was like growing up at Holywood, how different it is now as a big shot on the PGA Tour, and much more.

It's time for the final men's major championship of 2025 as the 153rd Open Championship heads to Royal Portrush. To preview this week's tournament, Andy Johnson is first joined by Fried Egg Golf producer PJ Clark to run through the top storylines to watch. They discuss the course setup at Royal Portrush, the 2025 Player of the Year race between Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa's recent struggles, and more. Andy then chats with 2024 Open Championship runner-up Billy Horschel (42:31) about his thoughts on the field at Portrush and his first-hand experience playing in The Open. The two also touch on Billy's rehab as he works to return to play after hip surgery, his thoughts on television coverage of the PGA Tour, and the importance of continuity in a tour pro's life.

Andy Johnson is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Joseph LaMagna and Sean Martin of the PGA Tour for a Ryder Cup discussion ahead of the final men's major of 2025. The three discuss storylines they're watching as the season wraps up and give their rosters for both Team Europe and Team USA as things stand today. Andy, Joseph, and Sean also debate the impact of course setup at Bethpage Black and wonder how the Americans will change things up in order to gain in advantage in September.

Andy Johnson and Garrett Morrison open up the mailbag and answer golf architecture questions from Fried Egg Golf Club members. The two discuss the Gil Hanse-designed Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco following the KPMG Women's PGA in June and the impact of "fairness" on designs hosting major championships. Andy and Garrett also talk through factors such as spectator experience and other limitations that architects have when building championship venues. They then discuss the influence of Scottish courses on American architects who built some of the best courses in the United States after spending time overseas. To wrap things up, Andy and Garrett look ahead at future major championship venues on the men's side, sharing some insights on future PGA Championship host sites in particular.

Andy Johnson is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Joseph LaMagna to discuss the PGA Tour's hire of Brian Rolapp as its first ever CEO. The two look toward the future of the Tour and professional golf as a whole, wondering what Rolapp will bring to the sport after a career in NFL leadership. From there, Andy questions Joseph's about his ranking of U.S. Open venues featured in his last column on TheFriedEgg.com. To close out their conversation, Andy and Joseph list five players that need a strong showing at Royal Portrush in order to not have a lost season of majors.

With another men's major championship wrapped up, Andy Johnson is once again joined by 2008 Masters champion and CBS lead analyst Trevor Immelman to recap J.J. Spaun's victory at the U.S. Open. The two dive into Spaun's winning performance at Oakmont, his golf swing, and his continuing development as a player in his mid-30s. Andy and Trevor also discuss the Sunday rain delay and the impact that it had on the contenders during the final round. The USGA's setup at Oakmont is covered at length with some comparisons to what may happen next year at Shinnecock Hills. To wrap things up, Andy and Trevor run through some players who did not win at Oakmont, including Bob MacIntyre, Cameron Young, Adam Scott, and Sam Burns.

Andy Johnson is joined by 2006 U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy to preview the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. Andy and Geoff discuss the setup at Oakmont as the club prepares to host the U.S. Open for a record 10th time. Geoff shares insights from his experience playing at the 2007 U.S. Open as the defending champion and emphasizes the unique challenges that Oakmont presents. The two discuss the mental strategy needed to contend for 72 holes at one of the toughest courses in America and focus on players such as Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, and Xander Schauffele as potential winners.

Andy Johnson gets a head start on U.S. Open week with a two-part look at Oakmont Country Club. First, Andy chats with Gil Hanse, consulting architect at Oakmont, about his recent work on the course and his expectations for how it will play for the pros next week. The two discuss possible pin placements for the tournament and the history that guided Gil's renovation. Andy is then joined by Oakmont superintendent Mike McCormick to discuss the turf management at the club and how his team is preparing for the U.S. Open. Mike shares details about the culture at Oakmont and the daily challenges of maintaining one of the toughest courses in America.

Halfway through men's major season, Andy Johnson has Joseph LaMagna stop by and trade questions about the current state of the pro game. They discuss a potential "golden-era" of major championships, Patrick Cantlay's puzzling career, and a potential Team Europe victory on the road at this year's Ryder Cup. To close, Andy and Joseph go down the Ryder Cup points lists and debate what the back half of each team may look like for this year's event at Bethpage Black.

Andy Johnson is joined by 2008 Masters champion and CBS lead analyst Trevor Immelman to recap Scottie Scheffler's win at the 2025 PGA Championship. The two discuss Scottie's closing stretch to the tournament, his putting improvement in 2025, and the historical context surrounding his third major victory. Andy and Trevor also talk about contenders Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, how Quail Hollow played as a major venue, and Rory McIlroy's disappointing week at a one of his favorite courses. They close the episode with a small preview of next month's U.S. Open at Oakmont.

Andy Johnson is joined by former PGA Tour winner and current Golf Channel star Johnson Wagner to preview the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. The two run through our traditional "five things" ahead of this major championship, discussing major storylines such as Rory McIlroy's dominance at Quail Hollow, Bryson DeChambeau's continued success at majors, and Jordan Spieth's latest attempt at the career slam. Andy and Johnson also discuss the golf course and some of the changes that Quail Hollow has made in order to become a better venue for major golf events.

Immediately following U.S. Open Media Day at Oakmont Country Club, Andy Johnson is joined by Garrett Morrison to discuss some initial takeaways from their first time at the course. The two discuss their favorite holes, the challenging greens, and the minimalistic design of Oakmont just hours after playing a full round. On the back half of this episode, Andy recaps his recent weeklong trip to Scotland with Fried Egg Golf Club members.

Andy Johnson is joined by "Designing Golf" host Garrett Morrison for a look at the current state of men's professional golf following Rory McIlroy's win at the Masters. The two prepared three storylines each that they're looking forward to for the rest of this year, leading to discussions about McIlroy, Jon Rahm, the American Ryder Cup team, and more. Andy and Garrett also share one course they're looking forward to seeing host a major tournament this year, prompting breakdowns of Cypress Point and Royal Portrush.

With the 2025 Masters wrapped up, Andy Johnson returns with a two-part episode focusing on golf architecture. First, Andy is joined by Fried Egg Golf creative Cameron Hurdus to recount Cameron's round at Augusta National. Cameron, a winner of the media lottery, played ANGC on Monday afternoon following Rory McIlroy's win. The two discuss highlights from Cameron's round and takeaways from another year roaming the course as media members. Cameron shares insight from actually being on the fairways of the course versus shooting photos from outside the ropes during the tournament. On the back half of this show, Andy chats with architect Brian Schneider about three courses that are at the top of his mind. Brian speaks about some of his current projects and land he's been viewing and compares these sites to courses such as Seminole and Garden City Golf Club.

Andy Johnson is back from Augusta and ready to recap the 2025 Masters with 2008 champion and CBS lead analyst Trevor Immelman. Andy and Trevor compare notes from their time at Augusta National, with Trevor sharing insights from the booth and Andy recounting his time following the marquee groups throughout the week. The two discuss Rory McIlroy's historic win, his rollercoaster of a Sunday round, and the historical context of completing the career grand slam. They also touch on Justin Rose and his second Masters playoff loss and look ahead to the rest of a major season that sets up well for Bryson DeChambeau following a strong performance at Augusta National Golf Club.

The traditional "five things" major preview returns as Andy Johnson is joined by legendary golf writer Jaime Diaz to discuss the 2025 Masters. Jaime and Andy begin this episode by chatting about the current state of golf media and highlights from Jaime's past work at Sports Illustrated. From there, the 2025 Masters preview begins with the two diving into the top storylines of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy entering this week's tournament. They discuss expectations for Scheffler following a slow start to 2025 and the important historical context of McIlroy's week ahead given his strong play so far this season. Andy and Jaime then debate whether any LIV players will make an impact at Augusta National this year, discussing the current state of Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Bryson DeChambeau, and Jon Rahm. The two highlight other players to watch at ANGC such as Akshay Bhatia, Jordan Spieth, and Ludvig Åberg. To wrap things up, Andy and Jaime discuss the best players to never win a Masters before making their picks to win the 89th playing of the tournament.

In preparation for this week's Augusta National Women's Amateur and next week's Masters tournament, Andy Johnson is joined by Geoff Shackelford and Rob Collins for an in-depth discussion about the golf course at Augusta National. To start, Geoff and Andy break down the routing at ANGC and detail the strategy of getting around the course throughout four rounds of competition. In the second half of the episode, architect Rob Collins shares his favorite greens on the property and provides insight on what makes these greens such a challenge for the best players in the world each April.

Andy Johnson is joined by Steve Williams and Evin Priest, authors of the new book, 'Together We Roared.' The book chronicles Williams's twelve-year run on Tiger's bag and details the 13 major championships the two won as a pair. Steve shares stories from his time working with Tiger, detailing the statistics he kept by hand and diving into some of Tiger's most iconic victories. The three also discuss the rivalry between Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods and Steve's background growing up in New Zealand. 'Together We Roared' is available for pre-order now.

After a Monday finish at The Players, Andy Johnson is joined by Gabby Herzig and Kyle Porter to discuss the biggest takeaways after a week at TPC Sawgrass. To start, Andy and Gabby talk through Rory McIlroy's latest win and his current mental state heading into another season of majors, Scottie Scheffler's demeanor both on and off the course, and impact some course changes at TPC Sawgrass had on this year's tournament. Andy and Kyle then discuss how Rory McIlroy has been able to raise his floor in these big events over time, Scottie Scheffler's slow start since returning from injury, and share some appreciation for TPC Sawgrass as a venue hosting one of the best fields in golf.

Geoff Ogilvy returns to the Fried Egg Golf Podcast as he joins Andy Johnson to preview this week's Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Geoff shares some his experiences as a player at the event and details what makes Pete Dye's Stadium Course a tough test for the best golfers in the world. Andy and Geoff also discuss some PGA Tour pros that have caught Geoff's eye so far in 2025, leading to a larger conversation about the chase for speed in today's game.

Andy Johnson and Joseph LaMagna check in on men's professional golf this week, discussing the early part of the PGA Tour season. The two start by breaking down Luke Clanton's path to a PGA Tour card and Andy wonders if Clanton will receive a special exemption to the Masters in April. Joseph and Andy then talk through some Masters storylines with the year's first major right around the corner. They discuss Ludvig Åberg's standout play to start this year and how he'll follow up his 2024 runner-up finish at Augusta National. The two also provide some insight on two former Masters champions that may be undervalued heading into this year's tournament. To finish this episode, Andy and Joseph share some thoughts on the 2025 Ryder Cup and Team Europe potentially closing the gap between the two teams ahead of September.

On this episode of the Fried Egg Golf Podcast, Andy Johnson is joined by Dream Golf's Michael Keiser Jr. Andy and Michael discuss Dream Golf's newest project, The Commons, a 12-hole course at Sand Valley that will open in 2026. Michael details the inspiration behind the course and his experience working with architect Jim Craig. Andy and Michael also chat about other Dream Golf projects like Wild Spring Dunes and Rodeo Dunes. To wrap things up, Michael shares some personal news regarding his upcoming work.

After the Presidents' Day marathon at the SoFi Center, Andy Johnson starts this episode by chatting with Roberto Castro about TGL's first season. Roberto was instrumental in the creation of the league's gameplay and shares insights into how the league is handling business aspects such as player buy-in, television broadcasts, and technology. Andy and Roberto discuss the week-to-week improvements by the players as they become adjusted to playing simulator golf and wonder what season two may look like for the league. After that, Andy and PGA Tour pro Zac Blair talk through the three courses that Zac's thinking about the most. Zac discusses what owning his own course is like, how he solicits feedback from members and guests, and the subjectivity of golf course rankings.

Andy is joined by 2008 Masters winner and CBS analyst Trevor Immelman for a wide-ranging conversation about the PGA Tour's first events of 2025. Andy and Trevor discuss a standout performance from Rory McIlroy at Pebble Beach, Xander Schauffele's injury, and Scottie Scheffler's return to play. They then get into the pace-of-play issues on the PGA Tour and the best ways to penalize those violating the Tour's policy. Trevor also discusses his thoughts on the proposed rollback and how it could benefit players at both the professional and amateur levels. Finally, the two briefly preview this week's Genesis Invitational at Torrey Pines South.

Ahead of Brooks Koepka's 2025 season debut on LIV, Andy Johnson takes stock of one of the most accomplished players of his generation. Joined by Golf Channel's Brentley Romine and Fried Egg Golf's Joseph LaMagna, the three deep dive into Brooks Koepka's career, from his amateur career and unconventional route to the PGA Tour through his current status as one of golf's greatest major champions. They discuss his many major championship successes, revisit some of his best quotes, and offer predictions about the remainder of Brooks' career.

Andy Johnson returns to the Fried Egg Golf feed after a visit to the SoFi Center for his first in-person TGL match. This episode begins with some observations from Monday night's festivities featuring Boston Common GC and Jupiter Links. Andy then introduces Garrett Morrison's new podcast, Designing Golf, and throws to Garrett's sitdown with Geoff Ogilvy. You can find more Designing Golf wherever you get podcasts. Andy is then joined by Kevin Cook, author of The Tiger Slam: The Inside Story of the Greatest Golf Ever Played. The two discuss Tiger's historic run in 2000 and 2001, holding all four major championships following the 2001 Masters.

On the latest episode of The Fried Egg Golf Podcast, Andy Johnson is joined by Davis Love III and Scot Sherman of Love Golf Design. Before their conversation, Andy starts the show with commentary on the state of PGA Tour broadcasts following the marathon final round of The American Express and memo sent to players by Justin Thomas regarding broadcast improvements. From there, Andy, Davis, and Scot have a wide-ranging conversation covering Love Golf Design's ongoing projects, their experience restoring Pete Dye courses, and Davis Love III's playing career.

Andy Johnson is joined by two golf architects on this week's Fried Egg Golf Podcast. Before the architecture conversations, Andy shares his thoughts on Eugenio Chacarra's comments regarding his experience playing on the LIV Golf Tour and his interest in obtaining a PGA Tour card. From there, Andy first chats with Agustin Piza of Piza Golf, one of the three designers of the holes for the first season of TGL. Augie and Andy discuss what it was like designing holes in a virtual landscape, how the TGL's one green hampered some designs, and what Augie's learned from his experience in the metaverse that he's now applying to his designs in reality. To close this episode, Andy sits down with William Carlson, a freshman at Cal Poly who helped lead a restoration effort tat Northwood Golf Club in Sonoma County, California. Will spent his summer restoring a bunker at the Alister MacKenzie course and plans on making a career in golf course architecture.

In this two-part podcast, Andy Johnson is first joined by Fried Egg Golf's Joseph LaMagna to discuss the first PGA Tour stop of the 2025 season, Hideki Matsuyama's record-breaking win at The Sentry. With Matsuyama taking down the PGA Tour's 72-hole record for score-to-par, Andy and Joseph discuss whether the game has moved past the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort. The two debate whether changing the course to a par 72 as opposed to the current par 73 iteration would make things any better and how the PGA Tour could possibly add some teeth to a course that lacks defense when the wind isn't blowing. For the second part of this show, Andy chats with golf architect Jaeger Kovich about the most pressing issues for the golf course industry in 2025, such as rising building costs and the continued growth of resort golf.

Andy Johnson kicks off 2025 an episode looking at the year to come in professional golf, both virtually and on actual courses. To start, he's joined by Gabby Herzig of The Athletic to talk through some major storylines for the game in the new year. Andy and Gabby discuss the potential PIF-PGA Tour deal, the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, how the LPGA can grow under new leadership, and more. With TGL kicking off next Tuesday, Andy brings on Fried Egg Golf's Joseph LaMagna and PJ Clark for a preview of the simulator league. The three share thoughts on the league's TV deal with ESPN, the gameplay, and the lackluster design of most of the holes found in the metaverse. Check back next Wednesday for a new episode as the Fried Egg Golf Podcast shifts to a new schedule in 2025.

On the final Fried Egg Golf Podcast of 2024, Andy Johnson is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Brendan Porath and The Quadrilateral's Geoff Shackelford to rank the best events in golf this year. The trio pick their five favorite events of the year and discuss each at length, covering tournaments such as the men's U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, the Women's Open Championship at the Old Course, and the men's Olympic competition at Le Golf National. Andy, Brendan, and Geoff also cover some architectural trends that took shape in 2024 before ending the episode with what they're looking forward to in 2025.

In another two-part podcast, Andy Johnson is first joined by the PGA Tour's Sean Martin to discuss the upcoming documentary, "Scottie 24." Sean discusses his role as a producer on the project, which documents Scottie Scheffler's historic 2024 season and premieres on the PGA Tour's YouTube channel on December 23. For the second half of the show, Fried Egg Golf's Garrett Morrison calls in from "Down Under" as he takes the trip of a lifetime to see courses throughout the Melbourne Sandbelt. Andy and Garrett discuss cultural differences between American golf and Australian golf before Garrett shares his top memories from his trip so far. To close things out, the two chat about the Sandbelt Invitational tournament being played across four top courses in the Melbourne area.

Andy Johnson is joined by Joseph LaMagna and Normal Sport's Kyle Porter for an in-depth conversation about Jordan Spieth's career to date and his future after undergoing wrist surgery this fall. The three look back at Spieth's arrival on the PGA Tour, his unprecedented early success at major championships, his collapse at the 2016 Masters, and his sparse win total since his last major championship in 2017. They debate if Spieth will ever contend at a major again and project his future performance against peers like Justin Thomas and Scottie Scheffler.

Andy Johnson and Garrett Morrison team up for a two-part episode for this Thursday release. To start, Andy chats with Todd Demsey, a former professional golfer who now hand-makes persimmon clubs. Andy and Todd discuss Todd's All-American college golf career at Arizona State, his experience playing with persimmon clubs on the PGA Tour Champions, and why persimmons are special to him. In the second half of this episode, Garrett is joined by Chris Millard, author of the book The Shot: Watson, Nicklaus, Pebble Beach, and the Chip That Changed Everything, to discuss the new release and the long history of Pebble Beach Golf Links. Garrett and Chris dive into the early days of Pebble Beach, the 1982 U.S. Open, and how television helped popularize the sport across America.

Andy Johnson sits down with Bob Crosby, Chairman of the USGA's Museum Committee, for a wide-ranging conversation about the golf architecture trends of today. Bob shares his view on what he sees as a turning point in the industry, as the next generation of golf architects need to distinguish themselves from the minimalism trend developed by the likes of Tom Doak and Coore & Crenshaw. Andy and Bob discuss the uptick in new courses being built during the 2020s, as fresh faces in the golf architecture world now have an opportunity to build their own projects. They also discuss the place of traditional clubs in today's game and why many golfers may opt for a different type of playing experience.

Andy Johnson and Fried Egg Golf's Joseph LaMagna are back to discuss ten breakout candidates for 2025. The two select five men's professional golfers each and dive into why they believe these golfers could be positioned for success next year. Could a PGA Tour rookie like Rasmus Hojgaard or Tom McKibbin make a splash now playing in America? Is there still room to grow for Davis Thompson after a successful 2024 season? And what's next for a high-profile golfer who's dealt with a litany of injuries? Andy and Joseph run through these players and more as they begin to look ahead to next year's pro golf slate.

Andy Johnson is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Meg Adkins for a look back at the 2024 LPGA season and a conversation about where the tour goes from here after the resignation of commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan on Monday. Andy and Meg debate the Player of the Year race between Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko, how the LPGA's media rights deal may be hampering the tour's growth, and discuss the need for a transformational figure to break through on a national stage, much like Caitlin Clark for women's basketball. Meg shares her favorite moments from the 2024 season and provides ideas for bold moves the next LPGA commissioner must make in order to capitalize on the tour's 75th season in 2025.

With the PGA Tour's FedEx Fall wrapped up, Andy Johnson is joined by Joseph LaMagna and Sean Martin to discuss their key takeaways from the last eight tournaments of 2024. The three discuss the standout play of amateur Luke Clanton and how PGA Tour U may create new stars in the game with an accelerated path to tour cards, the successful first-ever Black Desert Championship in Utah, and Daniel Berger's resurgence on his way back from years of injuries. Additionally, they talk through the ongoing changes facing PGA Tour membership and Andy once again pleads a free-flowing mega-tour with a constant churn of promotion and relegation.

Andy Johnson and Garrett Morrison are back to empty out the mailbag and answer golf architecture questions submitted on social media. They discuss their favorite university-owned golf courses and the continued evolution of college golf facilities as the game grows with NIL value for players. Andy and Garrett also touch on the best value golf trips in the United States, mentioning places such as Grand Rapids, Michigan and Ventura County, California. The two talk through the ongoing Poa invasion at Bandon Dunes and what the resort can do to keep up the courses before debating some of the worst holes in premier golf courses worldwide.

Garrett Morrison and Andy Johnson are back with another architecture-centric podcast. To start, they run through the just-announced schedule of 2025 Fried Egg Golf events, sharing their excitement for courses such as Moraine Country Club, Mid Ocean Club, Kingsley Club, and more. From there, Garrett and Andy react to Golf.com's recent ranking of the Top 100 Courses in America, with The Lido, Old Barnwell, Interlachen, and Medinah No. 3 as some of the new entries on the 2024 list. They discuss the trends in modern golf course architecture and how the mentality of "keeping up" impacts these rankings moving forward. To finish this episode, Garrett and Andy answer some listener-submitted questions through social media about par-3 courses, the future of shorter courses, and more. Stay tuned for another golf architecture mailbag podcast later this week.

Andy Johnson is joined by a variety of Fried Egg Golf staff members at the company offsite for a discussion about what courses they're currently thinking about and where they're looking to go in 2025, as well as their favorite moment from pro golf in 2024. In this wide ranging episode, Matt Rouches, Garrett Morrison, Will Knights, Cameron Hurdus, PJ Clark, and Joseph LaMagna touch on courses such as Hay Harbor Club, TPC Sawgrass, and Talking Stick, travel locations including Yosemite National Park, northern Michigan, and Japan, pro golf moments from Todd Hamilton, Si Woo Kim, Bryson DeChambeau, and more.

Andy Johnson is joined by Mike Koprowski, architect of Broomsedge Golf Club in Lee County, South Carolina. The two initially discuss the process of building Broomsedge and making the most on a smaller plot of land. Andy asks Mike about his background and how he went from serving in the Air Force and working in politics to now designing golf courses. Mike shares stories from his time as a caddie at The Country Club in Brookline, re-igniting his passion for golf, and the par 3 he built in the front yard of his old home in Nashville.

Fried Egg Golf's Garrett Morrison sits down with golf architect Trevor Dormer to discuss his recent partnership with King-Collins Golf Course Design, now known as King Collins Dormer. The two talk about Trevor's new role as a partner at King Collins Dormer and what appealed to him about joining the firm. Garrett and Trevor then discuss Trevor's ongoing project, his first solo course in the United States, a rebuild of Old Dane in Nebraska. Trevor details his process in making memorable golf experiences, how his experience with Coore & Crenshaw influences his work, and the evolution of the golf architecture profession.

Andy Johnson is back with another two-part show in this episode of The Fried Egg Golf Podcast. To start, Andy is joined by Fried Egg Golf's Garrett Morrison and Joseph LaMagna, as the three discuss their platforms in a hypothetical campaign for "President of Golf." They describe policies for men's pro golf, women's pro golf, the amateur game, equipment regulation, and the golf course industry. After listening to campaign speeches on shrinking the driver head and creating an exclusive streaming platform for the LPGA, Andy is then joined by Ru Macdonald for an update on the Coul Links development in Scotland. Ru provides insight into where the development currently stands, the potential economic impact it would bring to the Highlands area, and more.

Earlier this week, the PGA Tour emailed players a list of proposed changes set to be voted on by the PGA Tour Policy Board. If approved, these changes would take effect for the 2026 season. Andy Johnson is joined by Joseph LaMagna and Monday Q's Ryan French for a roundtable discussion on these proposed changes. The three debate whether the removal of 25 guaranteed cards and reducing field sizes are substantive enough to improve the product, whether Monday qualifiers should remain part of the PGA Tour schedule, the new pace-of-play policy, and more.

Andy Johnson is joined by Gabby Herzig and Brentley Romine in this two-part episode. To start, Andy and Gabby discuss her recent article in The Athletic about the impact of the 2024 U.S. Presidential election on a potential PGA Tour-PIF agreement. Gabby details the role of the Department of Justice as part of the executive branch when it comes to antitrust laws and how each possible administration's DOJ may react to a deal regarding men's professional golf. The two also discuss the continuing evolution of YouTube golf and how the platform is changing how golf is consumed. Andy is then joined by Golf Channel's Brentley Romine, as the two chat about the state of college golf in the ever-changing NIL era of college athletics. They talk through the impact of conference realignment on the college golf landscape, the development of new facilities at schools across the country, and how the new PGA Tour U system has changed the development path for top college golfers.

Garrett Morrison is joined by Tom Schwab, superintendent at Napoleon Golf Club, a nine-hole course in Napoleon, Ohio. Tom began working at Napoleon, his hometown course, in 2021 after working at private clubs such as Merion and Aronimink. The two discuss what it means to Tom to work at the course he grew up playing and the history of Napoleon Golf Club. Tom details the challenges of maintaining a public nine-holer in a small town and talks about his plans for improving the course.

Andy Johnson is joined by Joseph LaMagna for an episode focusing on 15-time PGA Tour winner Justin Thomas. The two begin the show with and they are In and Out on during the early stages of the FedEx Fall, as the PGA Tour's fall events have become more competitive this year while the TV coverage continues to lag behind. Andy and Joseph discuss the uptick in televised college golf and consider the broadcasting future of the sport. From there, the two take a dive into the career of Justin Thomas heading into 2025. They recap the quick start to Thomas' PGA Tour career, his performance in 2017 and 2018, and the advantages his ball speed and iron play initially provided him on Tour. Andy and Joseph analyze his recent putting woes and lack of driving ability, questioning if Thomas can ever be a top-five player in the world again. To wrap up the episode, Andy and Joseph share some Recommendations on how to use screen time for both kids and adults.

Fried Egg Golf's Andy Johnson and Garrett Morrison answer questions from Club TFE members in this golf architecture mailbag episode. The two discuss how the walkability of a course impacts their thoughts on a design, share their thoughts on how to assess a course's architecture while playing it, and debate how re-designs of historic courses should be handled. Andy and Garrett look ahead to some exciting projects finishing in 2025 and wrap the episode with one new hole that stood out to them during their travels this year.

Golf architect Tom Doak sits down with Andy Johnson for another mailbag-focused episode of "Yolk with Doak." Thanks to questions from Club TFE members, Tom discusses what motivates him to continue in his career, how he helps develop the careers of his associates, and learning to appreciate his own work. Andy and Tom go back and forth about what a Doak-designed major championship course would look like and why modern golf courses may not be the best hosts for majors. To end this episode, the two take a deep dive into Tom's experience building Stone Eagle in Palm Desert, California. Tom details the initial routing for the course, the struggles of building on rocky land, and how the elevation changes impact building a golf course.

Andy Johnson is joined by The Patterson Club's Jason Meersman for a conversation touching on life, golf courses, golf course maintenance, and even the Chicago Bears. To start, the two discuss Jason's upbringing in a family of golf superintendents and how this shaped his own career path and desire to work in the sport. Jason speaks to what he learned from his father and grandfather, as well as the importance of building relationships with club members as a way to improve the golf courses he's worked at. After that, the conversation shifts to some Robert Trent Jones history, as The Patterson Club is an early RTJ design located in Fairfield, Connecticut. Andy and Jason discuss the importance of work-life balance as a golf superintendent and what Jason does away from the course to keep him grounded. To wrap things up, Andy discloses some gripes he has with golf in the northeast, specifically surrounding green speeds.

Edoardo ("Dodo") Molinari, DP World Tour member and Chief Data Strategist for Ryder Cup Team Europe, joins the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion. First, Andy Johnson and Joseph LaMagna kick off the episode with what they are In and Out on this week in the golf world. Then Joseph brings on Dodo to discuss his background, Augusta National, hot-button topics in the golf analytics community, Ryder Cup strategy, and much more. The episode wraps up with a couple of music Recommendations from Andy and Joseph.

Andy Johnson sits down with Tom Doak for the first of two October Yolk with Doak episodes. To start, Tom shares travel tips for golfers headed to Australia, New Zealand, and links courses throughout Ireland and the U.K. Andy and Tom then talk through Tom's first round at Sedge Valley and his experiences playing his own design for the first time. They then discuss the strategy around designing and playing short par fours, debating on whether longer hitters should resist temptations to reach the green in one. This leads into a conversation about the prevalence of analytics in golf, as younger golfers now have access to more data and information about their own games and swings than prior generations. This episode wraps with Tom talking through the pros and cons of working on private or resort courses and more accessible public courses, and how the feedback he'll receive is different based on how often golfers play a course.

After the conclusion of another team match play event, Andy Johnson is joined by Shane Bacon to discuss the place of match play in the professional game. The two recap last week's Presidents Cup, evaluating the format and what changes need to be made in order to improve the event. They then turn to the concept of match play as a whole, advocating for more match play events in the professional game. They highlight the format of match play forcing players to become more aggressive throughout a round, often making for more compelling television than a 72-hole stroke play event. Andy and Shane brainstorm ideas for potential match play tournaments, such as a mixed-gender event with the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour, a professional event based on college alumni, and more.

It's Canada week on the Fried Egg Golf Podcast, so Garrett Morrison is joined by Toronto-based golf architect Ian Andrew for a look at the history of Canadian golf. After a brief discussion of Royal Montreal Golf Club and Ian's work with Mike Weir, the two unpack the career of Stanley Thompson and his work at courses such as Banff Springs, Jasper Park Lodge, and more. The episode wraps with a look at some of Ian's projects, including a potential book with even more stories from Stanley Thompson's life in golf.

Andy Johnson is joined by PGA Tour editorial lead Sean Martin to preview this week's Presidents Cup at Royal Montreal Golf Club. The two discuss the top storylines heading into the event, including Sahith Theegala's U.S. team debut, Mike Weir's course setup, and how the captain's picks will perform on both sides. Andy and Sean also touch on Scottie Scheffler's recent struggles in team events and the idea of "designated putters." To wrap things up, they both share a player on each team that they are most intrigued by and predict the final score come Sunday night.

Andy Johnson is joined by Garrett Morrison to discuss Garrett's recent trip to a hidden treasure trove of American golf, the state of Maine. They talk through the travel across the country from Portland (Oregon) to Portland (Maine), the affordability of some of the state's finest courses, and the vast number of nine-hole options in the area. After discussing the best time of year to head on a Maine golf trip, Garrett also shares stories of some personal interactions from the trip, reminiscing on the kind people he met while on this golf journey.

Garrett Morrison, Andy Johnson and Joseph LaMagna discuss the future LIV Golf as the league's third season wraps up at the Team Championship in Dallas this upcoming weekend. The episode begins with the three discussing what they are In and Out on after a busy weekend of golf at the Irish Open and Solheim Cup. Then, the conversation turns to LIV Golf with a recap of the Individual Championship, won by Jon Rahm on Sunday, before the trio debate where the league should go from here. Topics include a new television deal for the league, the need for more youth in the player pool, and the importance of a development tour to the success of the main circuit. To wrap things up, Garrett, Andy and Joseph share some Recommendations for some fall viewing, listening, and eating.

Andy Johnson previews this week's 2024 Solheim Cup, taking place at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia. First, Andy is joined by Meg Adkins to talk major storylines and players to watch before the competition gets underway. They discuss how the course may favor the American side, whether Leona Maguire can thrive in match play once again, and how much pressure the Americans may be under to prevent four straight Solheim Cups without a win. Next, Scott Furlong, superintendent at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, sits down with Andy to discuss his career path from teacher to golf course superintendent, the history of the club and its involvement in international competitions, how the course is looking heading into this week, and more.

Andy Johnson is joined by Darragh Garrahy to preview this week's Irish Open at Royal County Down. The two discuss the history of the Irish Open and how the tournament could increase its stature in the game in the future before discussing the golf course. Andy and Darragh go back-and-forth about this week's venue, detailing what makes Royal County Down so special. They break down the sand dunes running through the front nine of the course, the benefit of the nature and land that the course is located on, and the novelty of playing on top of dunes at Royal County Down as opposed to other courses. To wrap things up, Andy and Darragh talk through their favorite holes that the pros will play this week.

Andy Johnson is joined by Joseph LaMagna and Kyle Porter to review the 2024 PGA Tour season. The trio discuss multiple aspects of the year, including Scottie Scheffler's week-to-week dominance, Xander Schauffele's major performances, the PGA Tour schedule, and more. After discussing how strengths of fields stack up on each major professional tour, they look ahead to 2025 and beyond. Picks are made for players to watch next year, and questions are asked about how the Tour can develop new stars, especially as the first wave of LIV Golf contracts are set to expire. To wrap things up, Kyle suggests a new, shorter PGA Tour season that may lead to more top players trying to round into form for a shorter sprint.

Andy Johnson is joined by The Fried Egg's Matt Rouches and Clear Creek Director of Greens and Grounds Mike Cunniff on this two-part episode. To start, Andy and Matt discuss Matt's recent trip through the Nebraska Sandhills, where Matt played 14 different golf courses in six days. They discuss the best golf in the region, Matt's prior experience living in the Sandhills, playing courses with sand greens, and how he'd play just ten rounds in the area. After that, Andy sits down with Mike Cunniff at Clear Creek, a course in Carson City, Nevada next to Lake Tahoe. Andy and Mike talk about the Coore and Crenshaw course in the mountains, how they maintain the course in the elevation and with houses surrounding it, Mike's work at Old Sandwich and more.

It's Tour Championship week and the FedEx Cup Top 30 will have to face a new-look East Lake following a renovation by Andrew Green. To start this episode, Garrett Morrison and Joseph LaMagna discuss what they are In and Out on following the Women's Open at St. Andrews, with notes on the Road Hole and slow pace of play. After that, Andy Johnson sits down with Andrew Green for a quick chat about his work at East Lake and what to expect from the course this week. Garrett and Joseph then discuss some of the changes made to the course and what Andrew Green renovations tend to look like. Joseph then breaks down three player storylines to watch this week as the 2024 PGA Tour season comes to a close. To wrap things up, Garrett and Joseph share some Recommendations, including a northeast golf course and YouTube content to watch.

Andy Johnson is joined by Steven Biehl, superintendent at Wolf River Golf Park in Bear Lake, Michigan. Steven led a full renovation of this course that cost just $150,000 and discusses the challenges of renovating on a tight budget. Andy and Steven discuss Steven's background in agronomy and golf course architecture, the fulfillment Steven found in shaping bunkers, and even how to rebuild a pond. The two then look ahead at what work is left to do at the course, such as creating new forward tees for more to play.

Garrett Morrison and Meg Adkins are joined by 2013 Women's Open Champion and United States Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis to discuss this week's Women's Open at St. Andrews. To start things off, Garrett and Meg go through what they're In and Out on, hitting on Lydia Ko's strong season and the latest in Billy Horschel content from the PGA Tour. After that, Stacy Lewis calls in to discuss her win at St. Andrews in 2013, her current form entering this week's tournament, what she's looking for in Solheim Cup captain's picks and more (24:50). To wrap things up, Garrett and Meg give some Recommendations for you as summer comes to a close.

Andy Johnson is joined by golf architect Tom Doak as Tom answers listener-submitted questions coming from Club TFE members. The two cover topics such as the golf architecture book that Tom keeps going back to, how he handles restoring courses he designed, his work at Bandon, why amateurs should prioritize playing match play, and more. Thanks to Tom for joining us for this installment of Yolk with Doak episodes.

Garrett Morrison and Joseph LaMagna are joined by Lawrence Donegan to find out where high-level amateur golf stands today. To start this episode, the two discuss what they are In and Out on after this past weekend of golf, including the Women's Olympic Golf tournament, won by Lydia Ko, and the impact of rankings systems on the professional golf world. Lawrence Donegan, golf journalist and father of Niall Shiels-Donegan, an amateur golfer playing in this week’s U.S. Amateur, then calls in to discuss the state of amateur golf. Lawrence offers his thoughts on the high-level amateur game from the perspective of both a parent and a journalist, explaining how players handle technology, navigate the amateur golf landscape, and the pitfalls of the World Amateur Golf Rankings system (21:03). To wrap things up, Garrett and Joseph share some Recommendations for other podcasts you may enjoy!

Tom Doak returns for the first of two brand new Yolk with Doak episodes. Tom talks through his recent projects at Sandglass, Childress Hall and Cabot Highlands before discussing his favorite parts of working in Scotland. He shares stories of working with Padraig Harrington at the Renaissance Club and what he would take back to America from his most recent trip to Scotland. To wrap things up, Tom discusses his long history with North Berwick and why the course’s reputation has changed so much over the last 40 years.

Andy Johnson is joined by Joseph LaMagna and Sean Martin to break down the 2024 Men's Olympic Golf Tournament held at Le Golf National in Paris. Before diving into last weekend's action, Andy and Joseph discuss what they are In and Out on in the world of golf. Then, Sean joins to discuss the rise of Olympic golf, Scottie Scheffler's come-from-behind gold medal win and what it means for his 2024 season, Jon Rahm's collapse and more. Andy and Joseph then finish this episode with Recommendations for game-lovers and travelers alike.

In this two-part episode, Garrett Morrison is first joined by Joseph LaMagna for a look at Le Golf National, the host course of the Olympic golf competitions in Paris for the next two weeks. Garrett and Joseph share memories of how the course played during the 2018 Ryder Cup and predict which men may have a chance at medaling at a course that fits their game. For the second half of this show, Garrett chats with Jon Wall, superintendent of Shanqin Bay Golf Club in Hainan, China. The two discuss Jon's background in England, his path to Asia, his experiences in Hong Kong and Vietnam and more from his golf-related travels before diving into the the design and agronomy of Shanqin Bay.

Andy Johnson is joined by DP World Tour pro and 2016 Olympian Nicolas Colsaerts as the 2024 Olympic golf competition kicks off this week at Le Golf National in Paris. The two discuss Nicolas's experience representing Belgium at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, both in the golf tournament and as part of the greater Olympic community. Andy and Nicolas debate how team golf can be implemented into future Olympics and whether players would like to see that as a change. Nicolas also shares stories from his time supporting Belgium in other sports while in Rio alongside his teammate and countryman Thomas Pieters. After wrapping up with Nicolas, Andy and Garrett Morrison talk about where golf stands in the Olympics today and how it could become a bigger part of the sport and players' legacies in the future.

With the 2024 men's major season in the books, Andy Johnson is joined by Geoff Shackelford and Joseph LaMagna to hand out grades to both players and venues for their showings in the majors in 2024. The three touch on Xander Schauffele's historic performance, Scottie Scheffler's highs and lows, Bryson DeChambeau carrying the mantle for LIV golfers and more. After notes on non-winners including Collin Morikawa, Brooks Koepka and Ludvig Åberg, they then discuss each major venue of 2024, highlighting both the positives and the negatives of some of golf's most iconic venues.

After the final men's major of 2024, Garrett, Joseph, and Andy discuss their takeaways from Royal Troon and Xander Schauffele's second major win of the year. They start by evaluating where Xander stands amongst the top tier of stars in today's game, especially compared to Scottie Scheffler. The trio then cover how the golf course played all week and the value of having links courses on a consistent rotation for the professional game. After notes on the performances of Billy Horschel and Justin Rose, they then look ahead at what's to come for the rest of the season.

Ahead of the year's final men's major, Garrett Morrison and Joseph LaMagna wrap up preparations for the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon. The two discuss early insights from player press conferences and potential weather in the area overnight on Wednesday before diving into a re-watch of the 2016 Open's final round. With notes on Henrik Stenson, Phil Mickelson, a baby-faced Tyrrell Hatton and more, Garrett and Joseph use the footage to break down how the golf course may play this week with how the game has changed. To wrap things up, it's a segment of picks and predictions for what will hopefully be another excellent weekend of golf.

Andrew Cotter joins Andy Johnson to preview the 2024 Open Championsip at Royal Troon. The two dive into the biggest storylines going into the tournament, including the history of the golf course, how Rory McIlroy will bounce back after the U.S. Open, what to expect from Bryson DeChambeau, how Scottie Scheffler's week could define his 2024 season, and more.

Garrett Morrison is joined by Sam Cooper, an associate at architecture firm Clayton, DeVries & Pont, to take a deep dive into Royal Troon, the host of next week's 2024 Open Championship. Garrett and Sam discuss the history of the course, the evolution of the Postage Stamp and other standout holes. After wrapping up on Royal Troon, Sam talks about his experiences playing every links course in Great Britain for his "Links from the Road" tour.

Andy Johnson and Joseph LaMagna return after the holiday weekend to check on where things stand in professional golf as we enter the second half of 2024. To start, they decide they're IN on both Scottish golf and vacations and OUT on the location of the majors on the golf calendar. As the two move on to recapping the first six months of the year, they break down the careers of stars in decline, the gains being made in ball speed metrics and the development of young players such as Akshay Bhatia. As always, the episode ends with a couple of recommendations as you start your week.

Andy Johnson is wondering - what is the biggest question in golf right now? He's joined by CBS Sports' Kyle Porter, architect Brian Schneider and former PGA Tour pro Roberto Castro to discuss what's on the minds of some of golf's deep thinkers. With questions about the professional and amateur game, Andy and guests take a look at where golf may be headed in the future.

Brett Hochstein—a California-based golf architect who has shaped features for Tom Doak, Gil Hanse, Jay Blasi, and Jim Urbina, among others—joins Garrett Morrison to talk about his plans for two high-potential Sacramento municipal golf courses. Brett has just completed a master plan for a renovation of William Land Golf Course, a nine-holer in a city park, and he expects to finish his master plan for historical work at Haggin Oaks, an Alister MacKenzie design, later this year. Brett talks with Garrett about a variety of issues related to these projects, from California's water crisis to techniques for building great golf on flat land to MacKenzie's wild late-period greens. Brett and Garrett wrap up the episode with some chat about sneaky-good public courses on California's Central Coast.

After another packed weekend of professional golf, Garrett Morrison and Joseph LaMagna first welcome on Meg Adkins for a round of In/Out following the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, won by Amy Yang at Sahalee Country Club. Then, Garrett and Joseph discuss the Travelers Championship and whether a sub-60 round still holds the same weight following Cameron Young's performance on Saturday. The two also break down how the course changes at TPC River Highlands held up against the best players in the world following the renovations made for this year's tournament.

Garrett Morrison is joined by Shane Ryan, writer for Golf Digest, to discuss all things Rory McIlroy following last week's U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. The two break down Rory's Sunday and Shane's blow-by-blow article of the events that transpired. Moving on from the 2024 U.S. Open, Garrett and Shane then take a look back at Rory and where he was as a player and person when he last won a major ten years ago.

Following a historic weekend of golf, Garrett, Joseph, and Andy sit down to discuss takeaways and on-the-ground insights from an all-time U.S. Open. They start by debriefing Bryson's dramatic victory and the keys to his success. The conversation shifts to analysis of another close call for Rory McIlroy. The episode closes with a lengthy discussion on Pinehurst No. 2 as a venue for championship golf: how it thrives, how it could be improved, and feelings around its position as a USGA anchor site for future U.S. Open Championships.

Garrett brings on Joseph, who is covering this week's U.S. Open on site at Pinehurst No. 2, to discuss Joseph's early impressions of the course, including his sense of its difficulty and firmness level. In the second half of the pod, Garrett and Joseph discuss takeaways from their recent rewatch of the 2014 U.S. Open at No. 2, which Martin Kaymer won in an eight-stroke runaway. They finish up with some thoughts on which players might perform well this week.

Shane Bacon joins Andy Johnson to preview the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. The two dive into the biggest storylines going into the tournament, including Scottie Scheffler's dominant form, Jon Rahm's injuries, and how the venerable course will fare against today's best players.

Andy and Garrett convene to discuss the venue of next week's 2024 U.S. Open, the great Pinehurst No. 2. They touch on the skill sets that the course emphasizes, the short-game challenges it poses, the best aspects of Donald Ross's design and Coore & Crenshaw's 2011 renovation, and a few of the most interesting holes.

2014 FedEx Cup champion and former PGA Tour Player Advisory Council member Billy Horschel joins the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on hot-button topics in the world of professional golf. Andy and Joseph kick off the podcast with what they are IN and OUT on this week, including major championship venue selection and coordination across tours. Then Horschel joins to lend his perspective on his career, modern equipment, the prospect of a world tour, negotiations with the Saudi PIF, his West Ham fandom, and more. The episode closes with Recommendations from Andy and Joseph.

For the sixth installment of our Great Courses series, historian Lee Pace joins Garrett for a deep dive into the history of the Pinehurst Resort and Donald Ross's Pinehurst No. 2 golf course. Lee and Garrett discuss the origins of James Walker Tufts's retreat in the unpromising environs of the North Carolina Sandhills, how golf was introduced to Pinehurst, and Ross's influence on the development of several excellent courses at the resort. They also detail the evolution of the No. 2 course's architecture, from its earliest iteration in 1907, to the introduction of Bermudagrass greens in the mid-1930s, to Coore & Crenshaw's restoration in the early 2010s. Lee and Garrett finish with descriptions of a few of No. 2's key holes. Check out Lee Pace's 2012 account The Golden Age of Pinehurst as well as his most recent book Good Walks.

Gabby Herzig (@GabbyHerzig) of The Athletic joins Garrett and Joseph to discuss the 2024 U.S. Women's Open at Lancaster Country Club. First, Garrett and Joseph kick off the episode with what they are IN and OUT on in the world of professional golf. Then Gabby joins to discuss Lexi Thompson's retirement announcement and how her career will be remembered. The three of them then discuss other major storylines for this year's USWO, including Nelly Korda's prospects of winning her third major championship. The episode closes with Recommendations.

John Fields, the longtime head coach of the men's golf team at the University of Texas, joins Garrett to discuss a variety of topics in advance of the NCAA D1 Men's Golf Championship. Coach Fields talks about the Longhorns' season so far and the story behind how UT became the host of the men's and women's NCAA championships at the Gil Hanse-renovated North Course at Omni La Costa in Southern California. He also identifies a couple of back-nine holes to watch for in the coming days. In the back half of the episode, Coach Fields details his coaching career and his experiences with players like Cody Gribble, Jordan Spieth, and Scottie Scheffler.

Following an eventful weekend of major championship golf, Garrett, Andy, and Joseph offer takeaways from the 2024 PGA Championship. They discuss Xander Schauffele's win and how his career arc illuminates current dynamics in the professional game. They also discuss Valhalla Golf Club's performance as a tournament venue, with Garrett offering some devil's-advocate rebuttals to the critiques of the course's design and setup that Fried Egg Golf has offered this past week. Finally, they touch on Bryson DeChambeau's emergence as a people's hero (and how that image-making might be facilitated by the division between LIV and the PGA Tour) as well as the PGA of America's future venue selections and setup conundrums.

One day away from the start of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, Garrett and Joseph jump on the pod to discuss the insights they gleaned from rewatching the 2014 PGA Championship, the last major held at Valhalla. They chat about how the tournament played in 2014 and how this week's PGA Championship may play similarly or differently. Most of the conversation focuses on the golf course, both from a design and a playing style perspective, but there's also some discussion/dissection of 2014 champion Rory McIlroy's game, strategic approach, and mental attitude. The episode closes with thoughts on which players stand to benefit from this week's setup and conditions.

Another major championship week is here which means our Five Things episode will get you ready for the PGA Championship. Andy welcomes Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) to delve into Rory, Scottie, Brooks, Bryson, Spieth, and yes of course, Blockie. They also cover the PGA Championship's identity, how the LIV contingent will fare, and wrap up the episode with their picks for who will walk away from Valhalla with the Wannamaker Trophy.

Angela Moser sits down in person with Garrett to share the story of how Pinehurst's latest course, the Tom Doak-designed No. 10, was built. As lead associate on the project, Angela was in charge of getting the course ready for play in under a year. From the moment she found out she was getting the job to playing the first rounds on the course, she discusses the most difficult parts of the project, how the role of lead associate differs from shaper, and the holes she thinks will be the most talked about.

Four months into the 2024 pro golf season, Andy and Joseph sit down to discuss the professional golfers whose stocks have gone up and down the most so far this year. First, though, they talk about what they are IN and OUT on this week, including reflections from a visit to Bandon Dunes and a bizarre ruling on the DP World Tour. Then they go through the golfers whose stocks have risen and fallen the most in 2024 and how the best players in the world stack up today. The episode closes with Recommendations.

George Bryan IV is a professional golfer and YouTube star who, along with his brother Wesley (a PGA Tour winner), operates the popular Bryan Bros YouTube channel. In the midst of his preparation for the PGA Tour's Myrtle Beach Classic, which he will play in next week on a sponsor exemption, George joined Garrett for a wide-ranging conversation about his parallel careers in pro golf and content creation, his evolving mental approach on the course, his relationship with his brother, the rise of YouTube golf, and his and Wesley's plans to run a club in Columbia, South Carolina.

Andy and Garrett convene for their first golf architecture mailbag in a while, tackling questions about new courses they're excited to see in the next couple of years, which current tour pros might make good architects, how The Lido bucks convention, the holes at Yale that they're most eager to see restored, and the cultural forces that are shaping golf course design right now. As usual, they open the episode with In and Out, and they wrap it up with Recommendations. Note: The Scottie Scheffler interview that Garrett refers to in this episode was conducted by Friend of the Program Sean Martin for PGA Tour dot com. Read that piece here.

Designed by Brian Schneider and Blake Conant, Old Barnwell near Aiken, South Carolina, is one of the best-reviewed and most buzzed-about new golf courses of the past several years. In this episode, Garrett sits down with Old Barnwell's founder Nick Schreiber to delve into the nuts and bolts of how the course came to be. They talk about Nick's early years as a caddie, his vision for a "mission-focused" private club, how he found the property, why he hired Schneider and Conant, and his plans for Old Barnwell's second and third courses. They also discuss the broader state of the golf course industry—specifically, whether the current surge in construction might prove to be a bubble.

Following an exciting weekend of both men's and women's professional golf, Andy and Joseph convene to discuss the biggest storylines in professional golf. They start with what they are IN and OUT on, including appreciation for the dominance by Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda, along with qualms about tours stacking high-profile events against one another. Next, the two go through the biggest question marks remaining in the 2024 men's major championship season. Then Meg Adkins joins to provide her perspective on the Chevron Championship, Nelly Korda's ascension, and how women's golf should be prepared to capitalize on the momentum in women's sports. The episode closes with Recommendations.

Shane Bacon joins the podcast to talk about calling the featured groups at the Masters plus a debrief of the tournament and Scottie Scheffler. The two get into Augusta National as a tournament venue and how the course has changed its identity for the purpose of challenging the best in the game. Then they dive into all things Scottie Scheffler and how his simple process and mindset have set him up for a long run of greatness and how other players have struggled with the things Scottie does so well. Finally they finish off with some Harbour Town/RBC Heritage chatter and rounding thoughts on Bryson Dechambeau and other Masters loose ends.

After Scottie Scheffler's victorious march through Augusta National on Sunday, Garrett and Joseph sat down to discuss a terrific 2024 Masters. First they talk about what they're IN and OUT on this week; then they run through a couple of their high-level takeaways from the tournament. Later, they bring on Andy Johnson (24:49) and Shane Bacon (58:18) to get some on-the-ground perspectives. Garrett and Joseph wrap up the episode with Recommendations.

Ill-advised as it might be, we do what the episode title promises. Andy and Garrett sit down in the Draddy House in Augusta, Georgia, to rank all 18 holes at Augusta National Golf Club, from worst to best. Giddy up.

Trevor Immelman, 2008 Masters champion and CBS lead analyst, joins Andy Johnson to discuss storylines leading into the 2024 Masters. They run through their traditional "five things," starting out with Trevor's earliest Augusta National memories and touching on how to prep for the course's famous sidehill lies as well as how they expect various LIV players to perform. They also touch on the dreary weather at recent editions of The Masters and the importance of firm conditions in identifying and differentiating the best players. Both Trevor and Andy also pick a winner (hint: it isn't a surprise).

In this fifth installment of our Great Courses series, we dig into the history of the golf architecture at Augusta National Golf Club. Garrett is joined by Joshua Pettit, the principal architect at Pacific Golf Design, the founder of the Alister MacKenzie Institute, and the editor of The MacKenzie Reader. Garrett and Josh discuss the lives and ideas of Bobby Jones and Alister MacKenzie, Augusta National's original architects, as well as the influences and philosophical convictions that both men brought to the design of the course. Garrett and Josh also talk about how several specific holes have changed over the years and whether a restoration of certain original features would be feasible or desirable.

Andy Johnson is joined by Joseph LaMagna to break down their favorite small storylines going into the 2024 Masters. Before they get into the Masters, though, they have a lively discussion on Stephen Jaeger's win at the Houston Open, and why the event should be elevated to signature status.

Garrett and Meg kick off this episode by reviewing two major storylines from the current LPGA Tour season. Then they dig into a preview of next week's Augusta National Women's Amateur, first talking a few players to watch at the tournament (17:44). Then they bring on Stanford University standout and three-time ANWA invitee Megha Ganne (25:18) for a discussion of her college season so far, her past experiences at ANWA, and her memories from contending at the 2021 U.S. Women's Open.

Andy and Joseph start out with what they are IN and OUT on this week. including gambling ads, Paddy Harrington's social media, and the absence of match play on the PGA Tour. Hughes Norton, a famed professional golf agent, then joins Andy to discuss the new book he co-authored with George Peper, Rainmaker. Hughes worked for Mark McCormack, founder of IMG, and was the agent for players like Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, and Bobby Clampett. They dive into stories from his career in golf highlighted in the book and some that didn't make the pages. Topics discussed include the origins of a world golf tour model, Tiger's early years and working with Earl Woods, the start of the OWGR, Seve Ballesteros' double swoosh visor, and much more. Finally, Joseph returns for recommendations.

On May 2, Bandon Dunes' latest par-3 course, Bandon Shorty's, will open during the resort's 25th-anniversary celebration. In this episode, Garrett sits down at Bandon Dunes with one of the designers of Shorty's, Keith Cutten, a partner in the firm Whitman, Axland & Cutten. Garrett and Keith discuss the origins of WAC, the renowned skills of his co-designers Rod Whitman and Dave Axland, the goals and process behind the Shorty's project, and the joys and difficulties of designing short courses in general. In the second half of the pod, Garrett and Keith dig into the fascinating ideas of Keith's book The Evolution of Golf Course Design. His basic argument is that the broader trends in society and culture have influenced the golf architecture of each era in ways that haven't been thoroughly investigated. Garrett loves discussing this kind of stuff, so he and Keith really get after it here.

After Garrett and Joseph run through what they're IN and OUT on this week, they bring on Sean Martin (@PGATOURSMartin)—Lead, Editorial at the PGA Tour—to discuss takeaways from an excellent Players Championship. They go in depth on Scottie Scheffler, touching on his mental and strategic approach, his status within his generation of players, and even his swing technique. They also try to explain what makes TPC Sawgrass such a compelling tournament course. Garrett and Joseph then wrap up the episode with some recommendations.

In 1991, Michael Bamberger took a leave of absence from his job at a newspaper to "search for the primal heart of golf." First he caddied for Peter Teravainen on the European Tour, then he set off on an exploration of the Scottish linksland. The result was the widely loved book To the Linkland, a 30th-anniversary edition of which is now available for pre-order. Michael joins Garrett to discuss the themes of the book, how the golf world has changed in the past three decades, and whether he thinks it would be possible to undertake a similar journey today.

Garrett and Joseph start off the episode with what they are IN and OUT on after an eventful weekend of professional golf. Then they move into a thorough discussion of Bay Hill, dissecting its strengths and weaknesses as both a test of professional golf and as a golf course. Looking ahead to the Players Championship, the two transition to a conversation about TPC Sawgrass including thoughts on what makes the golf course special and which players may find success there this week. They close out the podcast with Recommendations.

As we've mentioned a number of times recently on the pod, golf course construction costs are rising. As a result, very few new (or newly renovated) courses are set up to be affordable to play. This is a major problem for the game—but it can be addressed. To discuss how to construct, maintain, and run a successful mom-and-pop golf course, Garrett Morrison sits down with Mike Young, the architect and owner of The Fields Golf Course in LaGrange, Georgia. Mike talks about the secrets behind building greens, bunkers, and even irrigation systems affordably. He also details the forces in the golf course industry that prevent operators from making smart, economical choices. Finally, Mike gives an update on Warmouth Sands, his new municipal design in Vidalia, Georgia.

Andy and Joseph kick off the episode by discussing what they are IN and OUT on this week. Then World No. 42 Ryan Fox joins Andy and Joseph to talk about his unique path into professional golf after not playing a competitive tournament until age 18. He talks about his experiences traveling the world to compete across multiple global tours, playing in his first Masters while fighting pneumonia, missing out on the Presidents Cup, playing in the Olympics, and more. Andy and Joseph close out the episode with Recommendations.

In the latest installment of our Superintendent Series, superintendent Mike Manthey joins Andy to discuss his role in restoring Seth Raynor's design at Midland Hills Country Club near Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mike talks about how he found Raynor's original plans, his favorite stretch of holes post-restoration, how he navigated the removal of 2,000 trees, and the importance of trying to make Midland Hills the best version of itself rather than imitating other clubs.

The Masters is just six weeks away. Andy and Joseph give their thoughts on the golf course, the skills required to succeed at Augusta, and major storylines entering the tournament. Before getting into the Masters, Andy and Joseph discuss what they are IN on and OUT on for this week, including expectations for a former star's return to professional golf this week. To close out the episode, they give Recommendations.

Decorated Getty Images photographer David Cannon joins Garrett to talk about his career, which has spanned more than 40 years and nearly 200 men's and women's golf majors. David tells Garrett about his early years as a competitive golfer—when he played with Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo, and Seve Ballesteros, among other European legends—before getting into his experiences, techniques, and philosophies as a photographer of golf tournaments. He talks about capturing a couple of particularly famous images of Seve (one at the 1984 Open and the other at the 1993 European Masters), learning how to get in the right positions at a golf tournament, documenting raucous post-Ryder Cup parties, making the transition from film to digital, and much more.

After starting with what they're IN and OUT on this week, Andy and Joseph bring on Shane Bacon (@shanebacon) to discuss the state of the West Coast Swing. They touch on what was good and bad about each of this year's West Coast events, why many of them fell flat, and how to incentivize players to create a more compelling product. They also ask whether there are any PGA Tour courses that truly test the pros outside of Riviera, and whether the schedule can be restructured to give the West Coast tournaments a better chance of avoiding poor weather and turf conditions. They then name some players they think have a good chance at The Masters before Andy and Joseph wrap up with recommendations.

Jay Blasi, the golf architect behind the exciting redesign of Golden Gate Park Golf Course in San Francisco, joins Garrett for a wide-ranging chat. First, they discuss the subtle virtues of this week's PGA Tour venue, Riviera Country Club. Then they dig into the Golden Gate Park story: the origins of this municipal short course, the issues it had until recently, and Jay's role in reviving and improving it. Jay and Garrett close out the episode by talking about a few hot topics in golf architecture, including rollback and AI.

After starting the episode with what they're IN and OUT on this week, Andy and Joseph bring on Gary Young, the Senior Vice President of Rules & Competitions at the PGA Tour. They discuss how Gary became a PGA Tour rules official, what a "PGA Tour setup" entails, how he balances difficulty and fairness in presenting a golf course, his favorite venues to work with, his dream tour course, and the general evolution of championship setups in the modern game. They also touch on the hot-button issues of TIO (temporary immovable obstruction) relief, preferred lies, and pace of play. Andy and Joseph then wrap up the episode with recommendations.

Andy and Joseph kick off the pod with what they are IN on and OUT on for this week. Then Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) of CBS Sports and Normal Sport joins to discuss the state of professional golf on the heels of LIV Golf's increased public attention during LIV Mayakoba. The three discuss where LIV is succeeding, where it falls short, and how the league's potential growth impacts the professional golf landscape. To conclude the episode, Andy and Joseph each offer a recommendation.

Andy and Joseph start off with what they are IN on and OUT on for this week. Shane Bacon then joins the two to reminisce on Anthony Kim's career in golf, from his teenage years to his pro career to his subsequent injury struggles and exit from the game. The trio then discuss what Kim's best options are for a return to professional golf and the practicality of it all. To round off the episode, Andy, Joseph, and Shane each give a recommendation. Frequently cited in this episode: Tom Callahan's 2009 profile of Anthony Kim for Golf Digest

With construction costs rising, the pricatag for renovating a golf course has gotten disturbingly big in the past couple of years. For low-budget public facilities, the dream of a transformative renovation has begun to seem out of reach. But in certain situations, good work can still be done on the cheap. Our guest today, Clay Payne, is the head superintendent at Buffalo Dunes, a municipal course in Garden City, Kansas, which is in the midst of a six-year renovation project. Clay talks with Garrett about how he and his crew have made a relatively small amount of money go a long way. They also discuss Clay's childhood on the sand-green courses of southwestern Kansas, his early-career jobs at Dismal River and Ballyneal, and how he has gotten the local community involved in his efforts at Buffalo Dunes. This episode of our Superintendent Series is brought to you by the Toro Company.

This episode tackles one of the hottest topics in golf today: if, after an infusion of funding from private equity and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, the PGA Tour were to create a global schedule of elite events, what should this "world tour" look like? Andy, Joseph, and Garrett each give their proposals. First, though, they participate in a new opening segment, "In and Out," in which they discuss, among other things, Justin Thomas's reemergence, Scottie Scheffler's putting, and the proper pronunciation of "amateur."

ESPN's Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) joins Andy and Joseph for some comparisons between NFL franchises and pro golfers. Each gives three comps, along with rationales. Sean Martin (@PGATOURSmartin)—Lead, Editorial at the PGA Tour—then joins (57:25) to recap all that happened in Hawaii to start the 2024 season. Sean, Andy, and Joseph review the winners of the Sentry and the Sony Open and identify some standard players. The second half of the conversation delves into the recent fad of broomstick putters and why more young players have started using them.

A lot has been going on with the business side of the PGA Tour recently, all of it pretty weird. The Tour is trying to form a for-profit entity, supposedly called "PGA Tour Enterprises," with the backing of various investors, including commissioner Jay Monahan's frenemies at the Saudi Arabian PIF, which funds LIV Golf; purse sizes are spiraling out of control, and title sponsors are being asked to bear some of the burden; and in general the proudly non-profit Tour is moving awkwardly toward a for-profit model. To get some clarity on these matters, Garrett sits down with Josh Carpenter (@JoshACarpenter) of Sports Business Journal. Garrett and Josh discuss the PGA Tour's recent adventures in business, including its battle/partnership (?) with LIV and the PIF, the effect of Jon Rahm's departure, Rory McIlroy's world tour dreams, and the Tour's increasingly precarious relationship with its own tournaments and title sponsors.

To wrap up the initial run of our Great Courses series, Garrett brings on the doyen of Australian golf Michael Clayton (@mikeclaytongolf) to discuss the brilliant courses at Royal Melbourne. Garrett and Mike discuss Mike's personal history with Royal Melbourne, the architectural history of Alister MacKenzie's West Course and Alex Russell's East Course, the impact of these designs on the Australian game, and the finest rounds of golf Mike has seen played over Royal Melbourne's famed Composite Course. We loved making the first four episodes of the Great Courses series, and we hope you enjoyed listening to them. Let us know if you'd like more (and if you have suggestions for topics)!

Our first episode of the year brings Andy and Shane Bacon (@shanebacon) together to reminisce on 2023 and offer predictions for 2024. They look back on Wyndham Clark and Lilia Vu's breakout seasons, Viktor Hovland's evolution, and the feel-good story of the year in Hayden Springer's Q-School success. Looking ahead, Andy shares who he thinks will fall out of the OWGR top 10, and Shane offers makes a bold prediction about how will play in the Presidents Cup. Enjoy a lengthy discussion about New Year's Resolutions and the benefits of stretching at the top, and stay to the end to hear what Andy and Shane think about the still-vacant analyst seat at NBC.

Andy kicks off our final episode of 2023 with a monologue on the top 10 players in professional golf going into 2024. He is then joined by Steve McDonald of Turfgrass Disease Solutions to discuss Steve's unique career in turf. They talk about what it's like to work with 150-250 courses per year, distinguishing between important and trivial agronomic concerns, how expectations have changed with advances in greenkeeping equipment, and where Steve sees turfgrass maintenance going in the future.

Built (truly "built," not just "laid out") by Willie Park, Jr., in 1900 and 1901, the Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Club was, to that point, the most expensive construction project in golf history. It was also more functional, systematically designed, and artful than golfers of the 1890s would have imagined an inland course could be. It marked a major advance in golf architecture and the beginning of the period we now call "the Golden Age." This third installment of our Great Courses series starts with an extended introduction from Garrett on the state of golf course design in the late 1800s and the turning point that Sunningdale represented. To further explore the course's design and influence, Garrett brings on Adam Lawrence (16:26), the editor of Golf Course Architecture magazine and the author of an upcoming biography of Harry Colt. Garrett and Adam discuss Sunngindale's origins, Colt's important role in refining its design, and much more.

In the second installment of our Great Courses series, we dive deep into the story of National Golf Links of America, C.B. Macdonald's masterpiece on Long Island. Garrett speaks with Chris Millard, the co-author of a 2016 history of NGLA, about Macdonald's background and personality, how he developed his idiosyncratic design philosophy in the first decade of the 20th century, his hugely important partnership with Seth Raynor, and the monumental effort he put into funding, building, grassing, and promoting National Golf Links.

Over the next couple of weeks, we'll release the first few installments of what we're calling our "Great Courses" series. These episodes will tell the stories of some of the best and most influential golf courses in history. And where else could we start but with the Old Course at St. Andrews? Our guest is Scott Macpherson, a golf architect and historian, who recently published a revised edition of his fascinating, extraordinarily well-researched book St. Andrews: The Evolution of the Old Course. Scott joins Garrett to dispel some myths about the Old Course's history (no, it wasn't created solely by wind and sheep) and discuss how the links took on their modern form through a combination of natural and human influences. You can order your own copy of Scott's book on his website: St. Andrews: The Evolution of the Old Course.

It has been the busiest, most exciting year in golf course development since Fried Egg Golf has existed, so Andy and Garrett sat down to talk about the best of what they saw in 2023. They discuss courses in three categories: 1) best new builds; 2) most exciting course renovations; and 3) most memorable older courses they played for the first time this year. Andy and Garrett wrap up with some chat about the golf course projects they're looking forward to seeing in 2024.

Last week, Jon Rahm announced that he had signed a massive contract with LIV Golf. This is by far the most consequential signing yet for the Saudi-backed breakaway league. Andy is joined by Shane Bacon (@shanebacon) and Joseph LaMagna (@JosephLaMagna) to discuss what Rahm's departure means for the PGA Tour, how it affects the Tour's framework agreement with LIV, what the Tour needs to do to succeed going forward, and whether LIV will become significantly more interesting to watch. Andy, Shane, and Joseph wrap things up with a little rollback talk.

The USGA and R&A announced today (Wednesday, December 6) that they plan to adjust their testing standards for golf balls, resulting in a small rollback across the game. To discuss this decision, Mike Whan and Thomas Pagel—the USGA's CEO and Chief Governance Officer, respectively—join Garrett to talk about the governing bodies' switch from bifurcation to universal rollback, why they expect the impact on average players to be minor, the feedback they've received from equipment manufacturers and professional tours, and what they hope the overall effect of the rule change on the game will be.

Don't call it an "emergency pod": Andy and Garrett throw out their plans for the week and sit down to discuss the late-breaking news that the USGA and R&A will soon announce a future universal rollback of the golf ball . Andy and Garrett talk about the events that have led to this juncture and address a number of common concerns, misapprehensions, and points of debate around the issue.

Golf Channel senior writer Ryan Lavner joins Andy for some professional-golf chat. They check in on the status of the framework agreement between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabian PIF, and they discuss how the Tour might need to change going forward. Then they offer some thoughts on Tiger Woods's presser at the Hero World Challenge and the state of his game. After going through some of their favorite memories from the 2023 season, Ryan and Andy finish up with some grill talk.

Acclaimed musician Drew Holcomb joins the podcast to talk about music, golf, and the intersection between the two. Drew tells Andy about how he got into golf later in his life, the way his career in music progressed in relation to his golf game, and the new courses he has played this year (along with some musical artist comps for those courses). They also touch on music on the golf course, the holiday-music genre, and which major could use a theme song.

For the second of our two Thanksgiving-week Yolk with Doak installments, Andy and golf course architect Tom Doak tackle some more listener questions. Among other topics, they discuss Doak's recent Sedge Valley and Pinehurst No. 10 projects, designing short par 4s and shot courses that challenge elite players, difficult vs. "fun" courses, a wild idea for an Olympic course, and the pros and cons of blind shots.

Tom Doak is back for the first of two new episodes. In this first one, Tom addresses a variety of listener questions. He talks about the revival of his original High Pointe design outside of Traverse City, Michigan, and how it has been a unique project for Renaissance Golf Design. Andy and Tom then discuss the takeaways Tom has from Lido after a few days on site in October.

Former PGA Tour pro Roberto Castro joins the podcast to discuss the TGL, the indoor, tech-infused golf league featuring the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy that will launch in January next year. Roberto has been helping the TGL design its gameplay, and he provides information and perspective on the league's genesis, format, and potential. Before digging into this topic, however, Roberto and Andy discuss Roberto's recent experiences playing with retro equipment. Toward the end of the episode, they talk about the direction of the PGA Tour in the "Framework Agreement" era.

Bruce Hepner, former Vice President of Tom Doak's Renaissance Golf Design, was at the forefront of many current trends in golf architecture, from the Golden Age restoration movement to the revival of the design-build method. So we figured he would have an interesting perspective on the evolution of modern golf course design. Bruce and Garrett start by chatting about Bruce's passion for music and his recent renovation of Percy Warner Golf Course, a municipal nine in Nashville. They then discuss Bruce's epoch-spanning career, touching on his work in the early 1990s with Ron Forse, his experiences on Doak projects like Pacific Dunes and Ballyneal, and his thoughts on how the golf course restoration game has changed in recent years.

A couple of weeks ago, Garrett spoke with architect Gil Hanse in front of an audience at the Pearl Street Warehouse in Washington, D.C. Their conversation was part of the National Links Trust Symposium on Municipal Golf, so they focused on Gil's résumé of municipal designs, from Rustic Canyon and Soule Park in the early 2000s, to the recently opened Park in West Palm Beach, to his ongoing projects at Maggie Hathaway in Los Angeles and Rock Creek Park in D.C. Garrett and Gil touch on a variety of larger topics, such as the importance of architectural minimalism to affordable golf course development and the recent changes in both the golf architecture industry and Gil's own workload. Many thanks to the National Links Trust for asking Garrett to be involved in this year's symposium, and for letting us share this conversation with our listeners. Find out more about the NLT's work HERE.

Garrett joins Andy, aka "Sheddie Hackett," in the Fried Egg Golf Shedquarters for the first multi-person pod recorded entirely within the four uninsulated walls of Andy's backyard shed. They celebrate this momentous occasion by picking a "Dream 18" for Sand Valley in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. They select their favorite holes at each number (1 through 18) from the resort's five existing courses: Coore & Crenshaw's Sand Valley, David McLay Kidd's Mammoth Dunes, Coore & Crenshaw's Sandbox, Tom Doak and Brian Schneider's re-creation of C.B. Macdonald's Lido, and Tom Doak's Sedge Valley. Andy also gets in a few digs at large flagsticks.

Australian golf architect Mike Cocking returns to the pod for the first time in five years. Along with OCM design partners Geoff Ogilvy and Ashley Mead, Mike has been working more in the U.S. recently, so he and Andy have a lot to catch up on. They cover a variety of topics, including the best Ben Hogan story Mike heard while renovating Shady Oaks Country Club in Texas, how to design and build site-specific bunkers, the differences between Sandbelt golf and American golf, and some off-the-wall design concepts he'd like to try . Mike and Andy also dig deeply into two of OCM's current projects: an ambitious renovation of Course 3 at Medinah Country Club, which will debut at the 2026 Presidents Cup; and a 36-hole new build in Georgia, which will feature both a heathland-style and a Sandbelt-style course.

With the Ryder Cup in the rearview mirror and the competitive season winding down, Andy brings on Shane Bacon (@shanebacon) and Kyle Porter (@kyleportercbs) for a rollicking discussion of the year in golf. They rank the top five people and things that golf has been best to in 2023, and the conversation veers in a variety of directions, touching on playing Augusta National, coaching vs. parenting, and of course Blockie.

Dan Hixson is a golf architect based in Portland, Oregon, who has designed and built several excellent golf courses in the Pacific Northwest, including Bandon Crossings, Wine Valley, the reversible Craddock/Hankins layout at Silvies Valley Ranch, and the new Bar Run. Sitting in his home office, Dan tells Garrett about his varied career in golf course design. He begins by talking about his ongoing renovation of Lake Oswego Golf Course, a municipal facility in the Portland suburbs. He then delves into how he got interested in golf architecture as a kid, his foray into international competitive golf, his time as a club pro, and his sudden transition into golf course design. In the second half of the episode, Dan and Garrett touch on some of his most significant design projects—all of which are open to the public.

The interest and intrigue in season two of LIV Golf has waned throughout the year and in the aftermath of the bombshell that was the “Framework Agreement” with the PGA Tour. As its season winds down, LIV is front and center again and Golfweek’s Adam Woodard, who has been on the LIV beat the last two years, joins Fried Egg Golf’s Garrett Morrison to discuss the recent denial of OWGR points and how interest has dropped off severely in its second year. They also discuss the tenuous nature of that framework deal with the PGA Tour and the potential consequences if it does fall through at the year-end deadline. Will we see another round of player movement and defections between the two leagues? And how is that deal uncertainty impacting LIV and its future? They also catchup on the league’s season ending events for both team play in Miami this week and individual play in Saudi Arabia last week. 

Mathew Goggin has had one of the most interesting careers in golf and he's not yet old enough to play on the Champions Tour. Growing up in Tasmania as the son of legendary golfer Lindy Goggin (née Jennings), Mat played frequently at Royal Hobart Golf Club, which is close to the Hobart International Airport as well as a strip of sand dunes and pine trees called Seven Mile Beach. Mat often wondered why there wasn't a course on this landmass, amid the spectacular dunes. Future Tassie golfers will no longer have to wonder: with the help of architects Mike Clayton and Mike DeVries, Mat is developing a new public golf course at Seven Mile Beach, set to open in late 2024. In addition, he has already begun to plan a second course next door, this one called 5 Mile Beach. Matt gives Garrett the lowdown on these projects and also talks about his outstanding competitive career, highlighted by a victory at the 1995 Australian Amateur, five wins on the Korn Ferry Tour, and a very close call at the 2009 Open Championship. (Yes, that Open—the Tom Watson vs. Stewart Cink one.) Mentioned in the episode: Mat's excellent essay "10 years and counting...," a reflection on his late grandfather's influence on his life in golf

Another European Ryder Cup, another "surprising" loss for Team USA. In this episode, Garrett offers some analysis of Europe's 16.5-11.5 victory in Rome as well as a few big-picture takeaways. First he is joined by Joseph LaMagna, a Fried Egg Golf contributor and the author of the Finding the Edge newsletter, to perform an autopsy of the U.S. team's performance. For a discussion of the European squad's successful week, Garrett brings on Ben Coley (39:38), the deputy head of content at sportinglife.com. Both Joseph and Ben touch on players who thrived at Marco Simone, players who faltered, and the strategic decisions that led to Sunday's result. 

Happy Ryder Cup Eve! As the first day of action in Rome approaches, Garrett checks in with three members of the Fried Egg Golf team—Andy Johnson, Brendan Porath, and Joseph LaMagna—to get their predictions for which team will win at Marco Simone, what the final score will be, and who will prove the most and least valuable players. For the second part of the episode (34:15), Garrett is joined by Shane Ryan, author of The Cup They Couldn't Lose, to discuss how the Ryder Cup has changed over time. Garrett and Shane provide historical context for this week's event by exploring how Europe gained the upper hand on the U.S. team starting in the late 1980s, and how Team USA has only recently begun to match its opponent's level of organization and leadership.

CBS lead golf analyst Trevor Immelman joins Andy to preview this week's Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Italy. The two discuss the big storylines heading into the Ryder Cup, including top-tier European players, the depth of the U.S. team, Justin Thomas's prospects, and Team USA's predictable pairings.

This episode focuses on the APGA Tour, which seeks to bring greater diversity to golf by helping African Americans and other minorities to gain access to careers in the game. First, Andy speaks with APGA founder Ken Bentley about how he started the tour, what his original goals were, and what the tour has become. They also touch on some stories of APGA players. For the second half of the episode, APGA Tour and PGA Tour Canada member Aaron Beverly joins Andy to discuss his life in golf (57:45). Aaron talks about how his years of experience in ballet helped his game, and about his path from watching Tiger Woods every weekend as a kid to winning the Charlie Sifford Award and joining Tiger on a panel.

Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, outside of Rome, Italy, is this year's Ryder Cup host. In preparation for this rather high-profile gig, Marco Simone underwent a redesign by European Golf Design, in cooperation with Tom Fazio II. European Golf Design's lead architect for this project was Dave Sampson, and in this episode, Dave joins Garrett for a deep dive into the course. Dave talks about the most attention-getting holes at Marco Simone, the thought that went into building the spectator and hospitality infrastructure at the venue, whether he believes the course will actually favor the Europeans over the Americans, and some of the criticism Marco Simone has received from European Tour players. Garrett also asks Dave about his general philosophy of championship course design, including his take on the role of narrow fairways and thick rough in challenging elite players.

Shane Bacon joins Andy to draft their own Ryder Cup teams: Team Egg vs. Team Bacon. They do a schoolyard pick, drawing from the pool of American and European pros who will compete in the Ryder Cup later this month, ranking them 1-24, and offering insights and critiques on individual players. Banter ensues.

First, Andy and Garrett cover some mailbag questions they didn't get to in last Friday's pod. They try to decide whether upcoming Ryder Cup venue Marco Simone is "good," list some of their favorite fairways in golf, and discuss the importance of tee-box design. In the back half of the episode, Garrett is joined by Will Benson (40:52), the facility manager and golf superintendent at Laurelwood, a nine-hole municipal course in Eugene, Oregon. Over the past several years, Will has carried out significant design upgrades at Laurelwood, and he tells Garrett about how he made these projects happen efficiently and cheaply.

Mailbag time! Andy and Garrett address a bunch of golf architecture-related questions from listeners. Among the topics covered: this year's most exciting new-build golf courses, the best courses Andy and Garrett saw for the first time recently, the virtues of the Lido, whether more "Harbour Town-style" courses should be built, why Pete Dye is not "VERY overrated," and whether template holes are lazy and uncreative. Also, Garrett gets a headache trying to answer the following question: If you could play one architect's body of work for the rest of your golfing life, whom would you choose and why?

Zach Johnson made his six captain's picks on Tuesday, so the U.S. Ryder Cup team is now complete. In this episode, Andy and Fried Egg Golf contributor Joseph LaMagna (@JosephLaMagna) discuss the merits of the ZJ's selections, evaluate Team USA in detail, and give some preliminary takes on the European squad.

The 2023 PGA Tour season is in the books, so Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) joins Garrett to discuss a few big-picture takeaways from the past year's action. First, though, they touch on Viktor Hovland's dominance in the last two legs of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and the hugely promising arc of his career so far. After running through their season-long takeaways, Kyle and Garrett briefly chat about Zach Johnson's upcoming captain's picks for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

Jimmy Humston is the golf course superintendent at the recently opened Lido in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. He joins Andy for a discussion of what it's like to live in Nekoosa, how he got introduced to Sand Valley, and the various jobs he's held around the resort. Jimmy and Andy dig deep into the story of building the Lido, a reproduction of C.B. Macdonald's famous course on Long Island. They talk about the construction process, the challenges of re-creating a lost design in a different locale, the secrets behind growing grass on the Lido's bold features, and Jimmy's plans for the course's future aesthetic.

Host of this week's 2023 U.S. Senior Women's Open, Waverley Country Club is a Golden Age Chandler Egan design, restored in 2012 by Gil Hanse, and—in Garrett's opinion—the best golf course in Portland, Oregon. Garrett sits down with superintendent Brian Koffler to talk about Waverley's history, architecture, best holes, and agronomy. They also discuss the challenges of maintaining turf in the Pacific Northwest and the striking array of top-10 clubs Brian interned at early in his career.

To lead off this episode, Andy sits down with PGA Tour winner Michael Kim (@Mike_kim714) to chat about a variety of topics. They discuss the courses Michael played in the Bay Area while attending UC Berkley, his strong play this season, and his newly vocal presence on Twitter. They also debate the USGA and R&A's proposed Model Local Rule for a reduced-flight competition ball (Andy is for it; Michael, like most PGA Tour members, is against it). For the back half of the episode (1:05:44), Andy brings on Jimmy and Jake Hoselton of the company Grass Clippings (@GrassClippingsc). Jimmy and Jake talk about how they founded Grass Clippings to shed more light on the turf industry, and the company's plans to develop an accessible, lighted par-3 course designed by Jackson Kahn.

Yesterday marked the end of the official "comment period" for the USGA and R&A's proposed Model Local Rule regarding a reduced-flight golf ball for elite competition. That's right, ya missed it. But the PGA Tour and the PGA of America submitted their comments on time, and they're opposed. Why have these organizations aligned against the governing bodies? How have certain equipment companies put their thumbs on the scale? What's the likelihood that the USGA and R&A will cave? Garrett discusses all of those questions with Geoff Shackelford (@geoffshac), author of the Quadrilateral newsletter as well as the new book Golf Architecture for Normal People. In the second half of the episode, Garrett and Geoff shift to sunnier topics: the delight that was last week's U.S. Women's Amateur at Bel-Air Country Club, the merits of Bel-Air's design and agronomy, and the unexpected two-major season from Lilia Vu, yet another successful product of Southern California's public-golf scene.