What went down: (0:00) Look at KVV – he’s the captain now! Or at least for the next few weeks. Call him our editorial director, designated survivor, whatever you want – but he’s leading the charge. For this week, he’s joined by Shane Bacon to unpack all the golf world buzz possible, and it starts right with the Sony Open and the Dubai Invitational.
Grayson Murray returns
(3:00) At the Sony Open, the leaderboard became a pileup – ultimately, a three-way playoff between Grayson Murray, Byeong Hun An and Keegan Bradley resulted in Murray winning with a birdie on the first extra hole. KVV and Bacon dig into the polarizing figure that is Murray, and the origins of his turnaround. Does his evolution signal something bigger in the context of identifying who’s who and story-building on the PGA Tour? Bacon encourages everyone to take inventory of the self-reflection Murray used.
(19:30) Noted Keegan Bradley stan KVV comes forward in mourning of some bad golf down the stretch, and gains an ally in Shane Bacon. They also sing praises for Byeong Hun An, who might be the only 1-iron player on Tour – but fell victim to a missed putt. Hun An has dealt with his own adversity – coming off of a suspension from the Tour after testing positive for “PEDs” – aka, a little cough syrup.
A questionable TIO ruling, where Carl Yuan clearly hit his ball OB, but was ruled to be in the grandstands? A lapse of judgment, but why anyone didn’t object to this questionable ruling remains a mystery. Perhaps there should be a rules official in the booth. The fourth round of the 2024 Sony Open was the day the term “virtually certain” was born – or not, according to the Rules of Golf, pointed out by Kyle Porter. That said, Bacon notes Yuan is one of the more entertaining players to watch on tour – in play and demeanor.
(45:00) Reacting to Gary Woodland’s vulnerable interview, where he revealed how grateful he was to be playing after the removal of his brain tumor.
Tommy Fleetwood takes Dubai
(48:30) Tommy-lad sneaks past Rory with a birdie on the final hole to claim his 7th DP World Tour victory at the Dubai Invitational! No, TC didn’t fly across the ocean for this one, but he might as well have made a celebratory pit stop. Fleetwood entered the final round with a one-shot lead with Rory as his biggest threat. Instead, two clutch birdies down the stretch and Rory unraveling paved the way for the Englishman.
Bacon points out that in the history of Fleetwoods wins, this is among one of the most legitimate – considering Tommy hasn’t had to beat a ton of Rory McIlroys! The duo then engages the amount of crossover between the Cowboys and Rory, and their respective fanbases.
Other golf headlines: Martin Slumbers steps down from the R&A
(1:03:00) The duo talka through Martin Slumbers’ tenure – credit to Geoff Shackelford’s list on the Quadrilateral – and react to his departure.
But that’s not the first hot topic departure — Keith Pelley is out as the DP World Tour commissioner, en route to becoming the president/CEO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. Was he bouncing because of all of the potential merger drama? If so, who could blame him?
(1:12:20) Keith Weyand became Golf’s Most Hated for the week after taking a sponsor’s exemption at the Dubai Invitational and finishing…72 shots back.
(1:19:00) Tiger and Nike break up after 27 years. The duo reminisce on the iconic marketing moments.
(1:25:50) The two close the show answering one question: What does “GOAT” mean to you? Are we as appreciative as we could be over what we’ve experienced in the modern era of GOATs – Belichick, LeBron, Tiger, Saban, Serena – to name a few.
The main squad might be away for Tourist Sauce, but we’ve still got plenty of content coming your way — stay tuned for a fun narrative storytelling podcast coming up from KVV (hint: one of his favorite impressions to do), a Brian Harman interview and more!
Best take: (1:25:50) Is reserved for the very end. I often think about the end of the GOAT era and how much it represents a lot of my own childhood, something I also took for granted! Seeing these GOATs off as an adult, I have a deeper appreciation for the memories they contributed to and what they represent in our culture.
Worst take: Exists in the same spot as best take. KVV dashing all the hopes and dreams of delulu golf fans hoping every rising amateur star is the next Tiger. Including me.
Quotables: (32:30) “They’re ‘virtually certain’ that the ball has gone into the grandstand and disappeared.” -KVV
(59:30) KVV: “I had several Cowboys fans in my DMs saying, ‘Man, you don’t get it, this year is different, you’re completely wrong!’ and literally after the game they were like, ‘I’m sorry, I take it all back. This is rock bottom. We are f***ed.”
Shane Bacon: “I almost think the comp is Cowboys fans and Rory fans.”
Featured guest(s): Co-host Shane Bacon, who you can find over at The Fried Egg and a golf broadcast near you.
Referenced works: (34:00) Virtually certain Kyle Porter tweet
(1:03:00) Geoff Shackelford’s piece on Martin Slumbers
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