Friday at the 2026 PGA Championship: A golf course debate rages on in Philadelphia

hosts

Brendan Porath

Andy Johnson

guests

Kevin Van Valkenburg

Do we have proper major setup or a total sham on our hands at the Aronimink for the PGA Championship? The golf course setup debates are raging in Philadelphia, as the PGA pushes pins to the corners and a leaderboard has condensed going to the weekend. Andy and Brendan get into some of the setup quibbles, what the data is saying, and just how enjoyable it has been to watch over the first two rounds despite some online chatter. Then they get into the stars like Scottie, Rory, Blockie, and the leaders like Smalley, Potty, McNealy, and Gotterup. Some missed cut disappointments like Bryson DeChambeau are called out before KVV joins late to discuss his impressions at the 36-hole mark in Philly, including some reaction to late Rory comments on the setup not being great.

POdcast

The Shotgun Start

PGA Championship

About the Hosts

Brendan Porath

Brendan Porath has spent more than a decade in digital golf media in multiple roles as a manager, writer, editor, podcaster, and contributor to television programs. He built and expanded Vox Media's golf coverage into one of the most popular destinations on the Internet at SB Nation. He's also written for the New York Times and contributed to Golf Channel programming, most often for the live studio show, Morning Drive. He founded the Shotgun Start podcast with Andy Johnson, and joined The Fried Egg full time as an editor, writer, and manager overseeing content.

Andy Johnson

Founder Andy Johnson started Fried Egg Golf in 2015 by answering his own question: What if we made golf architecture approachable? In looking at an entire golf course holistically, Fried Egg Golf brings another dimension to the game and fills a gap in golf coverage.

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