The Fire Pit Podcast

Tony Gwynn played 20 seasons for the San Diego Padres, ending his career with 3,141 hits, eight batting titles and five Gold Gloves. In episode one of this tribute series on the life and legacy of “Mr. Padre,” and with the help of with the help of a panel of Hall of Fame pitchers and hitters, we reflected on some incredible stats and anecdotes that made Gwynn's career so memorable. Throughout his...

Growing up in Santa Rosa, Calif., Matt Ginella would fall asleep to baseball games on the radio. And although he lived an hour north of San Francisco, his favorite team was the San Diego Padres. His favorite player: Tony Gwynn. Now Ginella lives in San Diego, and, along with his son, listens to Padres games on the radio in which Tony Gwynn Jr. is the analyst. So, to get a chance to produce a three...

A new Michael Bamberger book is always cause for celebration! "The Ball in the Air" is his ode to the way golf connects us all. In this exclusive podcast, he introduces the book's protagonists, shares his writing process, and reflects on his enduring love of "the game for a lifetime."  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's Fire Drill Podcast, Michael Bamberger interviews Alan Shipnuck about his enlightening reporting from LIV Tucson. They also touch on Jordan Spieth's vexing play in Tampa, larger trends in golf media, and their forever enduring love of a tangible book.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Geoff Ogilvy, Michael Bamberger, Alan Shipnuck and Matt Ginella all have different perspectives on the USGA’s proposed golf ball rollback so we convened a Fire Drill podcast to hash out all the talking points and help guide fans through a complex issue.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's Fire Drill Podcast: Alan Shipnuck and Michael Bamberger break down Scottie Scheffler's simple, boring, and incredibly effective approach towards golf. They dive into Jay Monahan's Oscar worthy press conference performance and discuss why there isn't a single good golf movie.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bobby Weed is an accomplished golf course architect who will leave behind a lasting legacy through his work. But the Weed who’s out to change the world, one letter at a time, is Lanier, his 24-year-old non-verbal autistic daughter. “She has a lot of things she wants to achieve,” Bobby says. “She’s just a beautiful young lady, inside and out.” Lanier Weed’s story, in both video and words, can be fo...

In the latest Fire Drill podcast, Alan Shipnuck and Michael Bamberger praise Kurt Kitayama on his gritty victory, discuss the state of Jordan Spieth's game and go deep on changes to the Tour's "product." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Fire Drill podcast, PGA Tour Player Director Peter Malnati explains the new structural changes to the schedule and how, as the appointed voice of the Everyman, he changed his thinking as the Tour embraces small fields and no cuts.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hale Irwin is an all-time badass: A division one football star in college, a 3-time U.S. Open champ and now a dispenser of hard truths. In this Need A Fourth, he goes deep with another Winged Foot conquerer, Geoff Ogilvy, while Shipnuck & Bamberger ride shotgun. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 f...

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...

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 Ch...

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 le...

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 cour...

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 t...

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.

Sean Foley is one of the most fascinating instructors in the game of golf. His unique approach towards the golf swing and seamless ability to turn a coffee break conversation into a mind melting analysis of how Tiger Woods would have won 33 majors had technology never evolved, make’s for wonderful conversation with Geoff Ogilvy, Alan Shipnuck, and Michael Bamberger. We present to you: Need a 4th. ...

In this Fire Drill, Alan Shipnuck, Michael Bamberger, and Ryan French break down Si Woo's win in Hawaii, Buckley's near-miss and relive Michelle Wie's glory days. They also reflect on the importance of diverse voices in golf media and the ways the sport can continue to evolve.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the latest Fire Drill podcast, Alan Shipnuck, Ryan French, and Michael Bamberger break down Collin Morikawa's collapse at the Tournament of Champions, Alan gets some face time with PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, and Michael questions why top amateurs are getting Masters invitations without having to formally qualify.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the latest Fire Drill podcast, Alan Shipnuck, Ryan French, and Michael Bamberger look ahead to the 2023 season with the usual mix of insight, humor and tales from the road. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In just two years the Sandbelt Invitational has become one of the most charming tournaments in golf. In this Fire Drill podcast, founder Geoff Ogilvy and Alan Shipnuck discuss a rousing week and the future of the Sandbelt. The star of the tournament, Momoka Kobori, joins the conversation to share what she learned playing alongside winner Cameron Davis and what the strong showing at the Invitationa...