The Shotgun Start with Andy Johnson and Brendan Porath of Fried Egg Golf is a podcast waiting for you early in the morning that quickly blasts through a variety of topics (usually) related to golf and (ideally) relevant to the day. It covers news from the pro tours around the world, amusing and important topics from the amateur game the rest of us play, and some irreverent stuff in between. There will be short interviews, previews, reviews, and dives into the archives. It provides what you need to know on golf through a rapid and fun catch-up discussion.
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
Rory talks LIV’s future in India, Golf’s wasteful era, and Austin Hitt(s) the PGA Tour
#37 trending · Sports
Brendan is once again joined by Joseph LaMagna as Andy is still on the run after a disastrous weekend for Chicago sports. BP is especially chipper given his Guardians too
Oct 13 1 h 10 min
Bethpage Ryder Cup shame continues, Baycurrent and KFT classics, and Sports minute(s)
#7 trending · Golf
After what some (Brendan) have called a "shameful" weekend for the city of Chicago, Andy no-shows the podcast and leaves BP to clean up a weekend of golf with Joseph LaMa
Oct 12 1 h 33 min
The Rahm departs The LIV, Sergio aims for Ryder Cup 2027, and more USO Anchor Sites!
#49 trending · Golf
This Friday episode kicks off with a Playoff Baseball Minute following Andy's earlier declaration of support for the Chicago White Sox in their quest to eliminate Brendan
Oct 8 54 min
Is ‘The LIV’ a tax asset or future golf league?, Furyk talks Ryder Cup in Ireland, and KFT apathy
At long last, LIV Golf has received part of its investment from BC Partners. Andy and Brendan return to break down the details of this "initial committed investment in LI
Oct 7 1 h 02 min
Tom Kim plays his way out of military service, Blockie hit by cart, and KFT pitch and putt
Andy and Brendan went LIVE on YouTube for this Monday recording after a busy weekend of fall golf... and a Bears win over the Jets. Andy is particularly giddy about some
Oct 5 1 h 03 min
Mid Am Victory Friday!, and future of PGA Tour rights deals and business offseason
Brendan! is calling for a Victory Friday for the city (or town?) of Cleveland following Andrew Bailey's win at the U.S. Mid-Am! BP is joined by PJ for a brief intro to th
Oct 2 1 h 04 min
The USGA's "venue malpractice," Reinstated am rage, & P-Cup cleanup
It's a busy week of golf as the calendar turns to October! Andy and Brendan are both ready for some playoff baseball and spend this episode previewing the six (6!) golf e
Sep 29 43 min
Was historic USA comeback in Presidents Cup the worst-case scenario for Ryder Cup?
Andy and Brendan reconvene after an enthralling weekend of golf in the great city of Chicago to recap the 2026 Presidents Cup at Medinah No. 3. Despite a three-point defi
Sep 28 2 h 05 min
EMERGENCY POD: Is Team USA in trouble after Internationals sweep Friday at Presidents Cup?
Emergency podcast! Andy and Brendan are back from Medinah after day two at the Presidents Cup and they get on the horn to dissect an International whitewash, a 5-0 drubbi
Sep 26 46 min
Presidents Cup MVPs, LVPs, ‘dead’ crowds, and a JT surge!
Andy and Brendan return from their day out at the Presidents Cup with some scuttlebutt, amusements, and insights with the USA leading the Internationals 3-2 after the fir
Sep 25 53 min
Can there be a Medinah Miracle at the Presidents Cup?
Andy and Brendan convene after a couple days at Medinah taking the temperature of the 2026 Presidents Cup, and getting some troubling intel on Andy’s youthful indiscretio
Sep 23 1 h 19 min
Live from Chicago: Brad Faxon tales & 2026 Presidents Cup Draft
What a way to kick off Presidents Cup week in one of America's two cities! Andy and Brendan were live at SPACE in Evanston, Illinois for a night of fun, discussing the re
Sep 22 1 h 24 min
J.J. Spaun calls out US Team snub after winning Wentworth, Pebble gets some work, & Chicago sports chaos
Suddenly, the 2026 Presidents Cup may have some juice! Andy and Brendan reconvene before Monday night's live show at SPACE in Evanston to clean up two highly-relevant res
Sep 21 1 h 09 min
The Preferred Lies Super Bowl, Solheim Cup ratings tank, & FBF on the Best PCup Ever
This Friday whiparound episode covers the hottest topics in golf: AI announcers "coming to fruition," PGA Tour Comms tweets, and the latest in RATINGS! after last weekend
Sep 17 1 h 27 min
A new Tour order, but a meritocracy? PGA Tour points overhaul, and Ryder Cup Europe scouting
Where were you when Duff Foreman made his historic debut in the golf commentary booth at the New Mexico Open? Andy and Brendan dissect the performance of Mr. Foreman, who
Sep 15 1 h 20 min
Another U.S. team failure in match play, Shane Lowry’s home win and viral mic moment, and NFL minute(s)
Welcome back to another fall of Victory Mondays! Andy is on cloud nine after his Bears put up 59 points in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season while Brendan took in another pit
Sep 14 1 h 02 min
Blockie buys a car, Solheim Cup preview, & a Presidents Cup FBF with KVV
We can promise this is the most in-depth discussion of the Michael Block memorabilia market that you'll find anywhere on the internet. With Brendan out for this Friday ep
Sep 10 1 h 20 min
LIV Golf files for bankruptcy, Irish Open enthusiasm, & Jon Rahm speaks again
As Andy says in the middle of this Wednesday episode, "golf gets really good in the fall." After a weekend focused almost solely on the Walker Cup, the Schedule for the W
Sep 8 1 h 01 min
Incredible Walker Cup finish delivers watch of the year: Reactions, praise, and blame on Lahinch matches
Andy and Brendan react to an all-time Walker Cup as Great Britain & Ireland took down Team USA with a birdie from Josh Hill on the final hole of his match against Tyler W
Sep 6 52 min
A reinstated amateur farce, Walker Cup preview, and flashback on Phil shenanigans
Andy and Brendan are excited for Labor Day weekend and bring the energy for this Whiparound Friday episode ahead of the holiday. They begin with Mike Sposa's win at the U
Sep 3 56 min
Chart trend
Position in the Golf chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#3#5JulAugSepOct
#1
all-time peak
500
days in the top 3 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where The Shotgun Start ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 14, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
It’s a great show overall, but it tends to dip when he gets on a soapbox. If Andy weren’t such a curmudgeon and know-it-all, the show would be better.
Porath carries it with the content, insight, and humor. He keeps things grounded, and the show is especially strong when it’s just him with a guest.
jtitusg · Jun 2026
By far the best golf podcast out there. Best combo of golf analysis and humor without taking themselves too seriously.
PJ has been a great addition and excited about KVV.
NotInterestedInFighting · Sep 2025
Been listening to this show since pre- pandemic, my favorite podcast. They offer great views on the state of pro golf with some great insights but also do not take themselves too seriously. It's the perfect combination of information and entertainment. The addition of PJ has elevated the pod even higher. Who doesn't love a little champs tour content. Great work gents.
Johnny foxtrott · Sep 2024
I’m a fan of several golf podcasts — NLU, the Chipping Forecast, Rick Shiels, RGC — and have samples all of them. Started listening after Full Swing revealed that Rory is a listener, and honestly — didn’t like it at first. But listened to a couple of more looking for why Rory was listened,
And now I can’t miss a pod. Brendan is a tremendous host — organizing what appears to be a chaotic mess into a subtly well-organized series of funny but incredibly insightful discussions of all things PGA Tour and majors-related, and hilarious running gags and bits. Andy is, I have come to realize, the singular best analyst of golf today. They both have encyclopedic knowledge of courses the world over and golf architecture— and it’s amazing how much better you understand the game after learning about all of the details that you didn’t pay attention to before, but that make golf the game it is with challenges changing from course to course.
Really couldn’t recommend The Shotgun Start and the related Fried Egg Golf podcast (and Get a Grip) more highly. Just give it a chance even if you don’t love it at first — you’ll be glad that you did.
MASNYCLI · Jul 2024
As a long-time listener, I’ve witnessed the cringeworthy degeneration of this podcast from a delightful blend of humor and insightful golf discourse to a frustratingly elitist echo chamber. The over-the-top fake rage Brendan displays for such trivial things is the very thing he decries when he sees it in others—and if it’s authentic rage, then we’re even further gone than I thought. I know, I know—it’s a “free” podcast that offers a money back guarantee. While I agree monetarily it is free, it has absolutely cost me the quality time it takes to listen that I will never get back. I know the next suggestion from fanboys and even the hosts alike will be “just don’t listen.” I agree. I will not be listening, but I wanted to voice this to possibly save some unsuspecting soul from devoting time to this reprehensible podcast and its miserable hosts. I’ll end by saying I wish the hosts would take this criticism—along with the other criticism they constantly complain about— reflect, and get back to what made them a popular podcast in the first place. But I know they won’t. If they do see this review, it will be the butt of one of their rants about how they could never be wrong and shouldn’t be questioned. They’ll disguise it with their usual fake self-deprecation and claim they’re just “idiots”. I know they won’t actually take it in and act on it—lazy and arrogant people don’t do that. And that’s exactly who these hosts are.
Rbgreene04 · Nov 2024
Podcast is unlistenable these days. All the hosts do is offer 3rd grade level football analysis while not talking about golf. Hosts don’t prepare at all for the show, and after a while you realize you haven’t heard them talk about anything interesting. If you want to actually hear about golf, listen to No Laying Up. Very strange to see shotgun start completely sabotage their own brand and actively ignore their listeners’ complaints about too much non golf talk. Completely arrogant, but makes sense since one of the hosts is a stay at home dad who really doesn’t need this job. Complete joke of a golf podcast. Go elsewhere if you’re looking for any actual analysis on the game you love.
Fratmonster · Oct 2024
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of The Shotgun Start, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
