The land of 10,000 man-made lakes and links season begins at Lahinch

Published: July 3, 2019, 7 a.m.

b'It\\u2019s July which means it is now the European Tour\\u2019s time to shine so this holiday week episode begins with a discussion of the Irish Open at Lahinch, the classic links layout on the west coast of Ireland. We lament its weak field strength but contrast it with the dartboard tour\\u2019s venue in the upper midwest. Andy also worries that the new compacted schedule is eroding interest in some of these events. We have some early intel from the Sticky Note Classic with alarming reports that this \\u201cformer sod farm\\u201d will be pillow soft with at least one disturbing backboard setup. We also discuss Rory Sabbatini choosing to pass on this week\\u2019s Challenge Tour event in Slovakia, where there\\u2019s a 783-yard par-6 that momentarily leaves Andy speechless. In news, we hit on Brooks Koepka\\u2019s new logo, a sneaky great tip for U.S. Amateur qualifying, and a study on the king of golf\\u2019s national opens. We wrap with some @FriedEggPaulie picks for the 3M Open, some insight on what this new venue compares to on the old schedule (hint: another Palmer course), and a few tips for the Irish Open as well.'