The Fried Egg Golf Podcast

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.