The first major of the 2024 season is in the books and Scottie Scheffler has comprehensively proved why he is the best player in the world right now. However, Ludvig Aberg is the real deal, Max Homa and Tommy Fleetwood are contenders for majors and Bryson De Chambeau remains an entertaining addition to any major. Martin, Des and special guest Steven G return to the ITFOG studio to discuss all the top stories from this years Masters. Whose predictions were correct and who fell short? Interact...

Martin and Des hit the studio on a wet Monday evening to preview the 2024 Masters, the likely winners/losers and uncover some fun facts about Augusta National. Joining them is 'friend of the show', Steven G, who spent this week last year in a white boiler suit whilst striding the fairways of Augusta as caddy to local Amateur Matt McLean. Who better to keep us right on our opinions than a man who has walked inside the ropes. Masters week is always an exciting time as it welcomes in the major...

To cover the ITFOG team's absence over the Easter period and bridge the gap until our 2024 Masters preview, we are posting our first ever attempt at an event preview from November 2020. At that time the podcast was only 2 months old, Covid was still a major concern and we were still learning the ropes about how to put episodes together. However, we did start our previewing efforts with a win which definitely filled us with an optimism rarely borne out for future events. We hope you enjoy this...

A great weekend following the action at the Players Championship from one of our all time favourite courses, the legendary TPC Sawgrass. Martin and Des convene in the studio to recap the results and storylines from one of the best tournaments of any golfing season. Scottie runs it back for a repeat win, Wyndham's luck runs out on the 72 hole with the cruellest of horseshoe putts and Xander falters on the final day. Also a little debate on where the "secret meeting" between PGA Board members...

We spend a little time this week on a tournament roundup but a much larger section of the show is dedicated to our review of Full Swing, Season 2. Does it improve on Season 1? Who comes out of it well and who doesn't? How much do we really learn about the job of being a professional golfer on a competitive tour in volatile times? How many engines does Dustin Johnson's boat need to get him to his favourite fishing spot? How can Team USA arrive unprepared in Rome?  Joining us for our review of...

Some weeks feel quieter than others but as Martin and Des hit the studio there was no shortage of things to talk about. We start with a good news story as a local golfer hits 100 years old and is still playing and enjoying his golf with pals.  We also cover the results from the Cognizant Classic (formerly the Honda Classic) after it's Monday finish and also LIV Jeddah. Plenty of chat about Anthony Kim's return to golf, Talor Gooch's latest dumb statement, Ian Poulter's loss of interest in...

After an eventful couple of weeks the boys are back in the studio to discuss many aspects of the current golfing landscape. Tiger's withdrawal from Riviera, Jordan's DQ, Hidecki's superb final day charge, Cantlay's pace of play and 'In & Out' burgers. Elsewhere we discuss the LET signature event from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia which is lucrative for the ladies but lacked any real atmosphere. Our opinions on the Wasted Open from TPC Scottsdale and whether LIV Golf Las Vegas made any real impact...

Martin and Des hit the studio to talk about the DP World Tour returning to Bahrain after 13 years, the AT&T at Pebble Beach being reduced to 54 holes and Jon Rahm's introduction to life on LIV at Myakoba. Then there is the small matter of the PGA and SSG announcing their deal with Mr PIF currently left out in the cold. Has Tiger turned the tide and do the PGA still really want a deal with Yasir? We try to answer these and other questions plus a few contributions from the...

The Hero Dubai Desert Classic is seen by many as the true start of the DPWT season and we were fortunate enough to have a team on the ground for the 2024 event. This episode covers our experiences in Dubai at the tournament plus a couple of rounds of actual golf in the sunshine. We delve into one of the big mysteries of world golf namely, what on earth is in Rory's security guards backpack? Returning to the studio we finish out the episode chatting about Nick Dunlap's historic win, Ryder Cup...

Welcome back to the podcast, our first episode of 2024. Martin and Des made it into the studio but young Mike is connecting from a remote location and we did have to resolve some delay issues, so we apologise if the audio quality is below our normal standards. Plenty to discuss especially around the non completion of the Framework Agreement by the target date. A brief review of the Sentry Championship from Kapalua, some predictions for 2024, breaking news and rumours from around the world of...

Our last episode of 2023 sees us try to remember stuff that could easily have been forgotten from this year. We also talk about our favourite golfing experiences of this year plus have a surprise visit from one of our irregular correspondents. We start debating a 'cool' nickname for our listeners although I am not yet sure that we have found a long term answer. Anyone with a good suggestion please let us know. On behalf of Martin, Des and young Mike can I thank all of our listeners for...

As we approach Christmas 2023 Martin, Des and young Mike compile their golfing 'naughty or nice' list for 2023. Some choices are obvious but plenty of debate ensues regarding other suggestions. We all thought 2022 was the most turbulent year in professional golf but 2023 has not lacked excitement, intrigue, betrayal, uncertainty, arrogance and even some potential redemption. A light hearted assessment of who should get presents this Christmas and who should spend time on the naughty...

Late November and Martin & Des were expecting to be talking about golfing trivia but the big stories keep coming in 2023. Ludvig Aberg & Nicolai Hojgaard are winning big, Min Woo Lee is on fire, Cam Smith is missing cuts, Jon Rahm is contemplating the most overpriced offer in world sport and Luke Donald is looking forward to Christmas with a satisfied grin. Des has been on the winning trail in Tenerife and young Mike is again stuck in meetings. A typically busy episode for the team at...

Martin and Des discuss recent good news stories from the world of golf and look forward to the Race to Dubai final. Most of this episode was recorded ahead of the news that Rory McIlroy had stepped down from the Player Advisory Board and the implications of this action. We stalled uploading our episode for a few days in the hope of some further insight/clarity but with little new information forthcoming we will just have to wait a bit longer. Interact with the podcast via our Twitter/X portal...

Martin and Des spend some time assessing the outcomes of LIV's second season. Have they made real progress or is the initial novelty wearing off. A couple of players have undoubtedly played well but will we ever really see them again in the majors as their exemptions start to expire. With the Framework Agreement seemingly going to miss its' 31st December deal deadline and world events starting to impact discussions, do we really think 2024 sees a unified Tour incorporating the PIF? Certainly...

Martin and Des are joined in the studio by Stephen Gracey who caddied for local amateur Matt McClean at both this year's Masters and US Open. Stephen recounts how he felt as he first turned into Augusta knowing that he was going to play a part in the 2023 Masters. How long did he take to settle, did he keep the famous white boiler suit, just how green is the grass and how does the Masters compare to the very different experience of a US Open? We discuss all this and much more on this episode....

As we upload our 100th ITFOG episode (ignoring summer repeats) we are delighted to be joined by New York Times bestselling author (and friend of the show) Alan Shipnuck to discuss his new book "LIV and Let Die, the inside story of the war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf". We cover many topics from the book including Greg's motivation, Mr PIF's limitless cash, the true reasons behind the trojan horse that is LIV Golf, the OWGR's decision not to grant ranking points and 'hatgate'. Also we...

A full contingent for today's post Ryder Cup episode with Martin, Des and young Jonny in the studio plus young Mike joining from an air traffic control tower (or just a remote location). So much to talk about following Europe's victory at Marco Simone (just what is the correct pronunciation) in what turned to be a tension filled few days. Was golf the winner? Have partisan crowds reached the tipping point between supporting the home team but failing to respect the visitors? Should...

A double episode week to cover the Solheim & Ryder Cups. In our second podcast of the week, Martin and young Mike discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both teams competing at Marco Simone in this years Ryder Cup. Have the Captain's selected all the best players or are there better players out there? Who will rise to the intense challenge  in the spectator heated cauldron? Plus a few fun facts about the Ryder Cup and the course it is being played on. Interact with the podcast via our...

Martin discusses the retention of the Solheim Cup with ITFOG's lead LPGA correspondent, Debbie. Who were Europe's key contributors? Is retaining the Cup the same as actually winning it? What are the key takeaways from this year's event? Additionally Martin has a chat with Howie regarding his recent visit to play Marco Simone and why it left a very nondescript impression on him.  Our main Ryder Cup preview drops shortly as a stand alone episode but interact as usual via our Twitter/X portal...

Martin hits the road with young Jonny to enjoy a day at the Horizon Irish Open at the K Club. Some 20 years since they were at a pro tournament together and they picked about as hot a day as you can get on a golf course in Ireland. Plenty of chat about how the logistics worked and also their impressions again watching the pros up close and personal. A good opportunity to see the current form of several Ryder Cup selections as well as a few others who could very easily have been on the plane...

As Thin Lizzy would say "the boys are back in town" and this episode launches Season 4 of In The Footsteps Of Giants, a podcast for golf fans by golf fans. Martin and Des hit the studio to tidy up some late summer stories and start our debate on the upcoming Ryder Cup following the US finalising their team earlier this week. Europe will announce next week so plenty still to come before the contest begins in earnest in three weeks time. Plenty of stats and hopefully a few laughs to keep you...

As the ITFOG team finish up their well deserved summer break, before diving into Season 4, we thought we should recognise Viktor's big win in the BMW held at Olympia Fields. This episode was first released in February 2022 where we celebrated the Norwegian superstar and predicted big things for his future. Viktor has not disappointed and has had a great season culminating in his latest win and a guaranteed Ryder Cup place. Best of all he has done this with a smile on his face that is...