In the Footsteps of Giants

We're back from our summer break and raring to go as we start season 7 of In The Footsteps Of Giants. Joining me in the studio is my long time pal and podcast partner Des, plus we catch up with Ron in the departure lounge as he waits for a flight. We talk about the Walker Cup and a miracle outcome, the Omega European Masters which weent beyond the distance, we catch up on the FedEx Cup results and we debate the likelihood that LIV 2.0 actually gets off the ground. Caddie's corner is a doppleganger story from Des which relates to a close friend of the show. Interact with the podcast via our X portal @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast.

As LIV's inevitable demise appears imminent, the team @ ITFOG review their conversations on the subject since January this year. New episodes coming in September when the team return from their hard earned summer breaks. Interact with the podcast via X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast

Although the ITFOG team signed off for the summer, the world of golf continues to watch LIV Golf's efforts to raise funding to survive past this season. We will be back with a podcast on their progress in the near future but until then we thought that listening to the story of LIV's origins and the reasons behind it's creation would be of interest to our newer listeners. Therefore, we have edited our chat with renowned journalist and NY Times bestselling author, Alan Shipnuck, as a summer filler as we attempt to relax and play some golf. Let us have your thoughts via X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast

The majors are in the bag, the FedEx playoffs are a few weeks away and so the team at ITFOG are signing off until early September to allow for some rest & relaxation. However, before we disappeared we convened at the studio to review the 2026 major season, talk about what we are looking forward to in the months ahead and debate the future of LIV Golf as it appears to be wilting before our eyes. A huge thankyou to listeners who have stuck with us through 6 seasons of ITFOG, we appreciate your loyalty and perseverance! Interact with the podcast via X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast. Enjoy your summer.

Today's episode makes no excuses for focusing entirely on a pretty eventful week at the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. The event delivered triumphs and heartaches, arguments and controversies, rulings and reliefs plus a host of associated storylines. In the heat of battle one man took it upon himself to go win it while others faded over the closing stretch. Is Ryan Fox the most relatable winner in recent times? Was Bryson unfairly penalised? Did Scottie get one of the "luckiest" rulings of all time? Was this year's open a classic? We debate all of these questions and many more. Our listener's will have their own opinions, share them with the podcast via our portals on X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast

As we head into Open Championship week Martin, Des & Chris sit down in a boiling hot studio to reflect on a great weekend for Korean golf with wins in both the men's and ladies game. Will success at the Genesis Scottish Open propel Tom Kim to feature at Birkdale, will Haeron Ryu top Nelly Korda for player of the year and, most importantly, which ITFOG panellist will win the coveted Predictions Game honours? Find out some interesting facts about the Open's history at Royal Birkdale plus the reasons our panel select their choices for the final major of the 2026 season. Interact with the podcast via X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast. Have a fantastic week enjoying the 154th Open Championship.

Plenty to talk about in professional golf as we head towards the last major of the 2026 season. Martin, Des and Ron convene @ ITFOG HQ to discuss Viktor edging out Scottie, Wyndham not being a popular winner at the US Open, the speed of play at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship and the race for places to play in 2027 as LIV Golf looks increasingly vulnerable. Plus we analyse the rsults from our US Open predictions game, maybe that is why our resident PGA Coaching Professional was 'unavailable' for this episode. Interact with the podcast via our social portals on X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast

At previous US Opens Shinnecock Hills grabbed the headlines as playing conditions got away from the USGA and the world's finest players were somewhat humbled. Will 2026 be any different or more of the same? Martin, Des, Ron and Chris debate the course and try to predict outcomes (always a fun pre major pastime, with only occasional success) as well as catching up with other stories from around the wider world of golf. Interact with the podcast via X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or on BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast

After a quiet couple of weeks the team assemble at ITFOG HQ to discuss the Charles Schwab Challenge on the PGA Tour, the Austrian Open on the DPWT and LIV Golf Korea on the Exhibition circuit plus other ramifications surrounding the withdrawal of Saudi funding at the end of this season. We also quiz our resident PGA Coaching Professional, Chris Gallagher, on his time coaching in China and the challenges he faced. Interact with the podcast via our social portals on X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast

Aronimink is in the books, a new major champion has been crowned and a few "favourites" have had a reality check. Martin, Ron & Chris review the PGA Championship and the media response to a strange week just outside Philadelphia. Is Aaron Rai a breath of fresh air, is Jon Rahm on his way back to form (and an established tour), is Bryson wasting his best years by pursuing peripheral projects. All this and more in this week's episode. Interact with the podcast via our social media portals on X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG and BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast

The next major of the 2026 season is upon us as we await our heroes teeing off at Aronimink on Thursday. Who will carry their form into the second major of the season? Will Rory go back to back majors? Will Scottie just turn it up a gear and blow the opposition away? Will this be Cam Young's or Ludvig Aberg's breakthrough major? Will Michael Block make the cut to perpetuate the man, the myth, the legend? We discuss possible outcomes and make our picks for a winner, a top 5 placing and a "big name" to miss the cut. We also catch up on other news stories from around the world of golf. Let us have your thoughts via our social portals on X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast

So much is currently happening in the world of professional golf that Martin & Ron hit the studio to discuss Nelly Korda, Cam Young and the ever changing LIV Golf story. Joining them is PGA Coaching Professional, Chris Gallagher, who makes his debut on In The Footsteps Of Giants to help us analyse what makes great players great. Plenty of golf news and chat without any of those pesky ads you find on other podcasts! Interact with us via our social portals on X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG and BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast

After a couple of eventful weeks in the world of professional golf, Martin and Des meet @ITFOG HQ to discuss the Fitzpatricks hot streak, Nelly Korda's wire to wire victory at the Chevron, LIV Golf's financial woes, season 4 of Full Swing plus catch up with what is being talked about on the Twittersphere. We hope this interests our listeners as they try to make sense of what on earth is going on in professional golf. Interact with the podcast via our portals on X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast.

The first major of the 2026 season is in the bag and it's another win for the lad from Holywood, Co Down. However, the Masters conjured up it's usual drama and storylines. The ITFOG team discuss triumphs and disasters, shocks and surprises, bad behaviour and consequences as Augusta National again became the focus of the golfing world. Did this year's Masters deliver excitement, drama and intrigue? Did LIV Golf players make any impact? Which ITFOG team member won the predictions game and be crowned the Prediction's King? Interact with the podcast via our portals on X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast

How do you follow ITFOG's most successful episode of all time? Fortunately it is Masters week, one of the best weeks of the golfing year. Martin, Des and Ron discuss some of the golf stories making the news over the last couple of weeks and then concentrate on trying to predict who will have a good run at Augusta in 2026. As always we also try and predict the big names who will miss the cut and rue another missed opportunity. Can Scottie start this tournament better than his recent Thursday form? Will Rory soar again or simply flame out now that his quest is fulfilled? Will Jon Rahm translate his form from the LIV exhibition circuit and capture a second green jacket? So many questions that this week will answer. Interact with the podcast via X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast.

An episode that the team @ITFOG_podcast have been really looking forward to recording. We are delighted that friend of the show, Alan Shipnuck, joins us to discuss his new biography of Northern Ireland's most successful sportsman, Rory McIlroy. Not for the first time Alan entrusted us with an advance copy of the book and in today's episode we get to ask many of the questions that golf fans want answered. We are indebted to Alan for his kind and generous support of our independent podcast and hopefully you will all sit back and listen to Alan's mellifluous tones as we discuss his new book. Interact with the podcast via our social platforms, X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG and BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast

The team catch up on events from Florida, South Africa & Hong Kong especially the huge differential in prize money for certain tournaments. Martin, Des and Ron discuss the ever worsening situation developing between Jon Rahm and the DPWT which could very easily see Jon missing the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in 2027. Ron quizzes Martin & Des about their experiences at TPC Sawgrass as we approach this year's Players Championship. And finally the boys discuss a bit of golfing magic that one of them pulled off over the weekend! Interact with the podcast via X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast

As Scottie's insane run of consecutive top 10 finishes comes to an end, what does the future hold for the world's best player? Martin, Des and Ron briefly discuss this before diving into the Genesis Invitational results, the Magical Kenyan Open on the DPWT, the implications of Anthony Kim beating Jon Rahm & Bryson De Chambeau in Adelaide and the breaking news regarding the DPWT granting releases to 8 LIV players. However, the biggest storyline is who is refusing the DPWT olive branch. We also break big news about an upcoming episode with an old friend of the show. Interact with the podcast via X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast

New contributor, Ron, has to deal with Martin on a full scale rant about a behaviour incident at the WM Phoenix Open, albeit at the end of the day Ron's viewpoint is not dissimilar. Plenty of chat about Patrick Reed's surge in form and profile, Chris Gotterup's surge up the OWGR rankings following another win, and LIV's surge of complaints that they are still not being treated fairly by the OWGR! Despite the absence of Des and young Mike there is no shortage of debate and opinion about the golfing stories that interest us. Interact with the podcast via our portals on X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or Bluesky @ITFOG-podcast.

Full house at ITFOG HQ as Martin & Des are joined in the studio by "young Mike" and over the worldwide web by Ron. Has Patrick Reed achieved some respect and redemption by winning the Dubai Desert Classic over the weekend? What do his press conference comments signal, a future at LIV or a plea to allow him a way back to the PGA Tour via the DPWT? Plenty of chat about the current state of world golf and whether Jon Rahm remains an elite player or a very rich and disillusioned malcontent. Interact with the podcast via X @ITFOG_podcast, Instagram @ITFOG or BlueSky @ITFOG-podcast