The Fire Pit Podcast

In the latest Fire Drill podcast: Matt Ginella joined Ryan French, Michael Bamberger, and Alan Shipnuck to discuss the dominance of Rahm, the return of Tiger, and the amazing longevity of Bernhard Langer.  They discuss the good, bad and ugly, of the 10th hole at Riviera and with the Masters just weeks away, the four wondered if Tiger had one more majestic run in him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Need a 4th, Alan Shipnuck and Michael Bamberger are along for the ride as Geoff Ogilvy welcomes an old mate and a fellow Aussie, the golfing polymath Michael Clayton! Michael can do it all. He played for years on the Australian and European tours, he writes about the game with spectacular clarity, his course-design work will stand the test of time, and as you are about to find out, he talks about the game like a Down Under version of Ben Crenshaw, with some Peter Thomson mixed in. Elsewhere at FPC this week, we celebrate golf in the great cultural, financial and sporting capital of Melbourne and we revisit the December fun of the Sandbelt Invitational, the tournament co-founded by Clayton and Ogilvy.  There are few people in the world (if any) who know more about golf in the sand, and golf in Melbourne, than Clayton and Ogilvy. Give a listen and hear for yourself. G’day!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the latest Fire Drill podcast: Alan Shipnuck, Ryan French, and Michael Bamberger watch the final stretch of the Waste Management Open together and discuss the tournament's place in modern professional golf. They share their opinions on whether or not Tiger will make the cut at the LA Open next week, and they speculate on what the conversations between LIV and the PGA Tour will be like at the Champions Dinner at Augusta in April.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christina Kim swears like a sailor but has a heart of gold. Two decades into her LPGA career she is an O.G. who has retained a childlike enthusiasm. The one and only CK joins “Need A Fourth?!” for a lively, wide-ranging conversation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s Fire Drill: Ryan French, Alan Shipnuck and Michael Bamberger are joined by Matt Ginella and golf’s super agent Mac Barnhardt. They discuss the wild Waste Management Monday qualifier, Justin Rose prevailing at Pebble Beach, and what lies ahead for professional golf’s future stars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you sum-up the one and only Gary McCord? Tour legend? Senior Tour winner? The wit behind hundreds of CBS golf telecasts? Well, give a listen to the latest edition of Need a Fourth as he joins Alan Shipnuck, Michael Bamberger and former neighbor, Geoff Ogilvy and decide for yourself! You may settle on the one-word summation we have settled on: RACONTEUR. Gary’s half-century at the highest level cannot be contained in one podcast, as you will find out here. Good times, right here: Gary McCord on Need a Fourth!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week’s Fire Drill: Ryan French, Alan Shipnuck and Michael Bamberger discuss yet another Patrick Reed controversy, Max Homa’s win at Torrey Pines, the next LIV deflector, the return of Anthony Kim and much more!     This episode is dedicated to the memory of Howard French. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On an all new "Need A 4th?!" a deep dive into the golfing foibles of a star of stage and screen, Mr. Richard Kind, the man who plays Larry David’s cousin on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Rich tells Geoff Ogilvy, Alan Shipnuck and Michael Bamberger about his buddy George Clooney’s golf game, tells some hilarious Hollywood golf stories that are NOT for the faint of heart, reveals his list of favorite courses and asks Geoff what he can do to get more distance. Tired of golfers who take themselves too darn seriously? Allow us to offer this special guest on “Need A Fourth?!”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Grind is a docuseries that showcases the trials and tribulations of aspiring professional golfers as they bet on themselves in the face of the very long odds of ever making it to the big time. The first episode of the first season can now be streamed on the Fire Pit Collectives YouTube channel. It follows the travails of Mark Baldwin during a long, brutal roadtrip as he endures bad luck and the bad health of his young son thousands of miles away. In this accompanying episode of The Grind podcast (https://youtu.be/DBEwKfGq954), Mark is joined by his wife, Sarah, and Ryan French, his friend and part-time caddie. They discuss what it's like being the stars of the show; the vulnerability of opening up their lives to a large audience; and the challenges of juggling family life with Mark's travels and the ongoing financial stress that comes with missing cuts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Fire Drill, Alan Shipnuck, Michael Bamberger, and Ryan French recap the production of THE GRIND, our docusseries that premiers January 24th. They break down Jon Rahm's recent dominance, LIV's new television deal and the potential awkwardness at the dinner table if Dru Love tells his father, DL3, that he's joining LIV.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.