Perhaps I’m not the right person to shepherd you through the endless hype leading up to this week’s 

. I was despondent for most of the afternoon/evening yesterday – at one point between 3 & 4pm I may have blacked out at my desk. I woke up this morning ready to turn the page on Zed-J’s triumph, and attack the day. Got to the office early, settled in with a double-double, and efforted a herculean AM session with the intention of making up for Monday’s astonishing lack of productivity. Shortly before lunch PGATour.com beckoned me, at which point a barrage of Mr. Matt “Lacks Pop/Can’t Play” Kuchar promos for this week’s event hit me in the face (if you can’t tell, I’m non-plussed by the guy). Needless to say, the browsing session ceased and I punted on a preview. Then I realized that with Soly settling back in over in Amsterdam after a week plus spent between DC and Scotland, Neil settling into a new job, and Big Randy on vacation, a preview probably wouldn’t materialize and we’d be doing Canada up dirty for the second year in a row. This was the only non-silly season event we didn’t do a preview for last year and I did a preview for the damn Barbasol Championship last week for Godsake. Alas…

The Canadian Open is actually a pretty interesting event, dating back to 1904 and boasting an honourable list of champs (Hagen, Armour, Snead, Palmer, Casper, Trevino, Weiskopf, Price, Norman, Furyk, Cat – most of whom won it multiple times). It may not be my favourite event on the calendar, but I’ve got a soft-spot for national opens, whether it be the obvious ones or the Mexican Open (did you know Stew Cink is a two-time champ or that Tommy Armour III prevailed against the field AND temptation in Tijuana?); 

 The event is on a quasi-rota at this point between about six courses around the country with seemingly no rhyme or reason to the cycle. This year’s site, Glen Abbey (6,650 metres), is the de facto home-base. Glen Abbey is a quality Nicklaus track (

 perhaps owing to the fact that it was his first solo design and he actually worked on it himself) and offers a pretty stunning series of holes (11-15) on the back nine that run through a valley . It’s a shotmaker’s course – control is more important than distance and this is Canada, land of shitty weather and comically high VAT taxes, so quick greens aren’t the course’s main defence. Ballstrikers roam the Glen Abbey realm: Cat, Norman, Price (twice), Strange, Sutton, and “Hot Carl” Pettersson all prevailed here. Ballstriking and humourously short par fives, eh? 

I joke often about Canadians – it’s always in good fun and I have more license (as an honourary Canadian) than most to do so owing to the fact that Neil and I lived there for a couple years growing up (actually right down the road from the course this week in Oakville, a suburb west of Toronto). I fondly recall those halcyon days of Blue Jays games (and the heady cast of Robbie Alomar, Juan Guzman, Joe Carter, Paul Molitor, Carlos Delgado and company), street hockey during summer, tobogganing and skiing in a toque during the winter. Canadians are an immensely proud bunch, and for good reason. On the whole they’re clean, fiercely loyal (see: Weir, Mike), hearty, polite, respectful, well-educated, foist horrific musical acts upon us (looking at you Sarah McLachlan/Bieber/Bryan Adams) employ a corny sense of humour, own a proclivity for adding unnecessary letters to words, always willing to lend a favour to a neighbour, and buy their milk in bags (

). Politeness is the fibre of their being, and the fans will be queuing up in droves for their well deserved week as the centre of attention for the golf world. A great bunch, all of them (except you, Stephen Ames). Savour it up this week, lads.

Tim Clark won. I don’t even remember this happening. He provided the hydro over the weekend to dethrone Furyk in his year of kerfuffles (keeping in mind that it was at a different venue last year).

, held at Glen Abbey. Heavyweights in the cut.

Sergio bankrupted me last week, however here are a few of the betting favourites that I’ll have some Loonie on this week:

Ryan Palmer 30/1 – if for no other reason than he’s a good calibre ball striker and I enjoy rooting for him. He also played well at St. Andrews.

Scott Piercy 45/1 – won on cruise control last week in Alabama, one of the better tee to green performances I’ve seen in recent memory. Should be plenty left in the tank and he’s played well here before.

Scott Langley 100/1 – on his grind right now. Seems like he’s having a better year than he really is. Watched him play quite a bit over the past few weeks and he’s definitely focused. Course should suit him.

The oddsmaker’s favourites this week all come with caveats: there’s a shitload of pressure on DeLaet. Kuchar and Donald lack pop. Day is probably distraught. RBC has a stable and they all show up en masse here and at Harbour Town. I REALLY like Scott Piercy, regardless of the odds. Koepka in the field, 21/1 odds which I don’t love. Harman’s game sets up very nicely. John Peterson is close to putting it together if he can get the flatstick going even a little bit. I’m going to keep throwing a nominal amount on Curran at 250/1 until he breaks through. Other guys of note – not picks, just interesting stuff. Castro Monday-qualified – he’s showing signs of life. Ollie Schniederjans making his pro debut (get on board). Patrick Rodgers fresh off a week chilling at home in Indy – course should suit his game.

Logistically it’s a nonstarter, but man it would be cool if the tournament could be played just once up at Cabot Links in Nova Scotia. Place looks and sounds dope.

Not trying to pour salt in the wound on the heels of his hiatus announcement, but Mike Weir’s biggest career regret has to be the playoff loss to Vijay at Glen Abbey in 2004. He played his last nine holes one over and watched Vijay birdie two of his last three to force a playoff. Weir then yipped a few short ones in the playoff to seal the deal. Devastating. 

 about Canada’s standing in the game. My biggest takeaway was the astounding lack of young talent in the pipeline. Three of the five guys listed don’t even have full privileges on the Web.com tour. For a country with 35 million people that seems impossibly low, even considering the oft-shitty weather. Maybe they just don’t hit their stride until late (DeLaet, Weir, etc. support that notion).

 struck again this week – they trolled the Cat with a replay of his duel with Bob May at Valhalla in 2000. I’ve watched it no less than two dozen times over the years and it NEVER gets old. It got me so amped I had to go work out. And then the adrenaline yielded to sadness just as the two iron stingers yielded to release patterns. I then recalled this moment from a few months later.

There are a ton of great recaps and wrap-ups from the British Open. Among them:   

Soly has the following to add from the Open Championship this past week:

As noted directly above, there are tons of other places where you can get a summary of the tournament. I want talk about the actual St. Andrews experience, and what it was like to be on the grounds for the 2015 Open Championship. 

 and the folks at Callaway for hooking me up with a place to stay, and a ticket to this truly once in a lifetime event.

Everything you’ve read and heard about St. Andrews as a town and the Old Course as a golf course are 100% accurate, but it really is something you have to see in person to fully grasp. What sticks out the most is the kindness of the Scottish people. Once they hear your American accent, they turn around and ask you about your trip, what you think of the town, the course, and whether or not you’re playing while you’re out there. The people love golf, and you never feel out of place or unwelcome anywhere you go.

Aside from it being an awesome atmosphere, both inside the ticketed areas and outside in the town, the viewing angles at St. Andrews are….. less than stellar. Attending an Open Championship here is still an incredible experience, but I learned quickly that I needed to manage my expectations on viewing a lot of golf. For some reason, when the course was built in the 1400’s, they didn’t think to have auditorium style viewing from all angles (I’m admittedly spoiled from attending the Memorial Tournament for most of my life). The true in and out routing makes it impossible to get to the left of any of the holes, and impossible to follow any players around. This isn’t even a complaint, rather more of an observation.

Enjoy the week. Come this time next week we’ll be ramping back up for the WGC.

RBC Canadian Open Preview

Parental Advisory: if you’re a casual fan this preview ain’t for you. It’s dry, largely devoid of pictures and focuses upon an event you probably aren’t even aware is taking place.

While the heavyweights jet-set across the pond, a collection of upstarts, journeymen, and grinders (some NLU favorites to be sure) rumble down I-55 from the Quad Cities and East on I-20 to 

 down on the Robert Trent Jones Trail in Opelika, Alabama for the Barbasol Championship. I thought it only fitting that I squeeze out a little quick hitter to kick off the inaugural iteration of this event. While the timing is certainly curious (seriously guys, mid-July in East Alabama?…think highs in the upper 90’s, steam room humidity and pop-up thunderstorms out the ass), I’m confident this event will be a welcome addition to the tour schedule. Why?

For one, the RTJ Trail is strong and deserves more visibility. With well-maintained, demanding courses scattered throughout the state (and owned by the state pension fund, I believe) it’s about as good a value as you’ll find anywhere in the country. You’ll find eleven different sites, most of which have at least 36 holes and some have an 18 hole short course to boot. Of the half dozen sites I’ve played (the junior golf circuits hit these places up on the reg, so I was over there a lot back in the late 90’s and early 00’s) my favorites are Capitol Hill (near Montgomery, which has three courses: Judge, Senator, and Legislator; the Judge tips at 7800 yards, has a 700 yard par 5 and serious elevation changes) and Grand National (which has two regular courses – the Links course is meh IMO, and then a short course).

When I look back at any of my rounds on these courses, the par three’s always stick out, especially on the Lake Course at Grand National. 

Here’s a course tour if you’re so inclined

 (also note, I believe they have the nines reversed for the event this weekend). The course is routed around Lake Sougahatchee, which is in play throughout the course. Holes 15 and 16 (playing as 6 & 7 this week) are the most memorable – the former a 230 yard par 3 over water and the later a drivable par 4 back across the lake (although they have it listed at 358 yards on the Tour site, which is a bummer if true). I’d guess the Golf Channel crew will post up there for some fireworks. Regardless of the routing, the finishing hole will be a dud, with both 9 and 18 relatively mediocre uphill par 4’s back to the clubhouse. Topping out at 7,300 yards the course won’t be a pushover, but I’d guess it’s playing firm and I’m not sure they can get the greens all that quick without burning them out. Strategy off the tee will be paramount as RTJ throws quite a few cross bunkers at you – if you challenge some of these holes with driver off the tee the landing areas really squeeze in. Overall, birdies should be in abundance, heat may be the stoutest defense, and streaky (read: lousy) could find themselves in the mix on relatively flat greens (again, by Tour standards). I think 18 to 20 under is a safe assumption (par 71).

And a word about the title sponsor – a bit about Barbasol. Founded in Indianapolis in 1921 and now based in Dublin, OH, it ranks right up there with Jergens Soap as a lasting Midwestern, household Brand (until a Japanese conglomerate bought Jergens in the late ’90’s…making Barbasol even more of an American Classic). Little known fact: it’s the official shaving cream product of Tron Carter – megacheap but a consistent and quality product. I’d say the field and timing of this event fit the Barbasol #Brand perfectly. D. Rovell would be proud of this guy:

The goal at the beginning of the year was to use this space during silly season/oppo field events as a somewhat periodic accounting of who’s emerging and who to look out for, both on the big tour and on the Web Tour. I apologize that hasn’t happened due to a variety of factors (chief among them, my real job – yes, I know some of you have wondered, we do have real jobs here at NLU). This and Reno are the only bottom of the barrel events between now and the end of the reacharound schedule, so hopefully this will serve as a prelude to more regular appearances during the Cash Grab Fall Series. Since this event is hard to bet (total crapshoot and since the “favorites” are 20/1ish, there’s not a lot of value out there with name guys. Here’s who I will be watching:

Patton Kizzire local boy, went to Auburn, #1 on Web.com money list, this is like his super bowl. The Tour even threw him on some of the promotional stuff this week. He’s listed at 26/1 – ahead of a lot of reputable pros (Boo, Cejka, Hadley, BVP, GFC to name a few) but knows the course better than anyone so it’s probably warranted. He’s got a sultry swing.

Carlos Ortiz I’ve had my eye on all year after what he did on the Web Tour last year. He’s missed four cuts in a row though and needs to get it back on track.

Maverick McNealy in the field again this week after a great showing at Greenbrier a couple weeks ago.

John Peterson should be right at home in the Southeast this week (30/1).

Scott Langley (23/1) is in good form and his blend of precision iron play should suit this course well.

Spencer Levin (65/1) is starting to heat back up and showed his face the last few weeks prior to late round ejections. Far and away my favorite player on the Tour. Here’s a bit from Big Randy last week 

Received the following from a Mr. Ron Lee via email this week (nolayingup@gmail.com if you’re so inclined):

“Normally I wouldn’t be so attentive but my good friend Josh Broadaway Monday qualified into the Barbasol so I’ve been patiently waiting to see his tee times so I can make arrangements to go up. Only one problem: they apparently can’t set the times because only 130 of the 132 spots in the field are accounted for and the alternate list appears to have been exhausted…..could they be attempting to track down grizzled veteran members such as Nolan Henke, Lance Ten Broeck, or dare I guess Dick Mast to judge their interest in playing in the inaugural Barbasol Championship??? Inquiring minds want to know.”



Thanks Ron – I went ahead and took a look and the list of alternates normally found at the bottom of the field is curiously blank. While the likes of Omar Uresti, Robert Gamez, Brett Wetterich, Ted Purdy, Steve Lowery, Len Mattiace, David Gossett, and Glen Day are all in the field this week it was absolutely CRUSHING not to see Dick Mast listed among the combatants. The 64 year old throws his name in the ring for seemingly every alternate list on Tour and the one week he’s got a shot at getting in he doesn’t enter. For shame. Appreciate your question and good luck to your buddy Josh.

Some rando vets in the field, including NLU Hall of Famer – TA3! We were lucky enough to chat with TA3 

. We can only hope he knows a great masseuse offering some great rub downs in Auburn this week. TA3 is a Great American. full stop.

We can take Aaron Baddeley off the milk carton – he’s been found, and with 90/1 odds. Yikes.

This area is no stranger to the PGA Tour – it’s not too far from Callaway Gardens, site of the former Southern Open turned Buick Challenge. Buick used to be DEEP in the game. It’s also a reminder that the Tour footprint still tends heavily toward the Southeast.

TPC Stonebrae in the Bay Area is the Web.com stop this week. Neil played it last month during the 

, and the track is pure, and the field is wide open with some of the circuit’s heavy hitters plying their craft in the Barbasol. It’s worth noting that Tony Phenom Finau won here last season to kick off what’s been a break out year for him. The list of alternates is a factory of sadness, with Steve Marino, Dicky Pride, Casey Wittenberg, and James Driscoll headlining. Godspeed fellas.

 is the article about the lady who eviscerated Zach Johnson’s will to live with the boom heard round the world at last week’s John Deere Classic. But skip the article and peep the comments section – some delectable stuff in there.

I’ll keep my Open Championship musings confined to Twitter, but here’s two I had to offer. Has anyone been more ridiculously under the radar of late than Adam Scott? He doesn’t play often and yet peep his major results over last three years. AUTOMATIC.

Enjoy the Barbasol, and enjoy Sergio winning The Open. I know I will.

A Beginner's Guide to The Barbasol Championship

We wait eight long months between the final major of the year, and the first major of the next year, but in mid major season (not talking about you, Wichita State-Gonzaga-Butler, calm down) they come at you fast. The British Open is situated perfectly between the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship, and is the biggest golf event of the entire summer. Gone are the complaints about the course setup, the ego of the USGA, and the carnage of the U.S. Open. In comes golf at its purest.

It may seem like hyperbole, but history is literally at stake here. Since the majors have been played in the order that they are currently in, no human has ever won the first three legs of the grand slam. Jordan Spieth would have a chance to do that this week if he were human, but six wins in nine months has me questioning whether he’s human or a man made robot from the R&D department at Under Armour. The opportunity presented itself for me to attend the oldest championship in golf this weekend, and the fact that we’re talking about the Old Course, combined with this truly once in a lifetime chance at history, the decision was a no brainer.

It's incredible to me how little play Spieth going for the Slam is getting outside golf circles. If Tiger had even sniffed the Slam in…



— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) 

I couldn’t me much more Pro-Spieth (or Pro-Porter for that matter), so it shouldn’t come at a surprise that I 100% with this statement. Granted, I don’t watc- (wait one second……*puts on flannel shirt and lens-less glasses, strokes overgrown beard*), I don’t watch much TV, but I feel like this should be a bigger deal than it is. The fact that a 21 year old American is doing things on a golf course that even Tiger never did has been beaten to death over our heads by the golf enthusiasts, but my God, we get amped every year for the possibility of an animal winning three races in a row, yet nary a focus on a human doing un-human things. Maybe this is the week this all changes.

I’m going to include the normal disclaimer that there is so much coverage of the majors by much better writers than us, that are on top of their game on weeks like this. So it’s difficult to come up with a fresh angle that no one has considered, but we’ll do our best. You can call me many things, but please don’t call me a hero (see Venn diagram below):

Ever heard of it? For almost six hundred years, St. Andrews was known as “The Home of Golf” (a title which was passed down to Patrick Reed as soon as he entered the real estate game). The club is owned by the Fife Council, and operated by St Andrews Links Trust, who had a scare in 1797 when they went bankrupt, only to receive a TARP bailout a reprieve from the Town Council of St. Andrews to allow rabbit farming on the course (all of this courtesy of 

). Then, in 1754, the whitest event in the history of the world took place, when “22 noblemen, professors, and landowners founded the Society of St Andrews Golfers.” It’s safe to assume that the entire Lumineers’ album was played at the initiation party, right? And Peyton Manning was there?

The course has obviously evolved over the years in many ways, but it’s still incredibly unique with it’s shared greens, and true outward/inward routing:

I’m confident in saying that this course is pretty straightforward, and rather easy for tour pros. The scoring will depend 100% on the weather, particularly the wind. (

 of how the weather is likely to play out this week). I’m betting on scores being low. It’s not going to be the JDC, but given the over/under of -12.5, I think someone beats that number.

When looking at the routing, and I can’t help but notice that almost every hole is shaped the exact same way: slightly left to right. One would think this would favor a fade, but you’ll also notice, at no point on this course can you miss right. It’s going to play soft, and it’s going to favor bombers. But hey, I’m sure that kickaround with your mates was a blast!

Barring an ex-pat contingent and father-son once in a lifetime golf trip patrons, the gallery is best summed up in this video:

The local caddie element has always been an interesting element to The Open Championship as well. Knowing the majority of caddies are responsible for their own Travel and Expense (such BS), many don’t make the trip across the pond with the pros using a local looper instead. I can’t wait for Tom Rinaldi to serenade us with a special that opens with the clinking of Guinness Glasses and closes with an emotional salute to one of St. Andrews’ finest, an ode to the birthplace of the game.

Overall, The Open Championship vibe is similar to nothing else in golf. Everything is different. The reactions of the crowd, the sound of the applause, and the ambiance is unparalleled in this sport, and to a certain extent, sports in general. As much as we pretend to hate Europe every two years for the three day Ryder Cup, this sport was founded on these islands, and their fans deserve a salute. Enjoy your week, lads.

Roddrick Muckelroy pretty much had things wrapped up by the weekend, carrying a four shot lead into Saturday after a pair of 66’s, extending his lead to six shots going into Sunday. Sergio and Rickie tried to provide some drama on Sunday (at one point Segio was two down heading to the 14th), but ultimately Rory was too much, keeping it firmly between the mayonnaise and mustard down the stretch for a two shot victory and his third career major championship.

I’ve been asked who my sleepers, are, but I can’t picture a sleeper winning. The game is too deep at the moment, and there is one guy that is deeper than them all.

 – I just can’t not. I’m worried about the draw he got (see link to Shane Ryan’s piece above), but I can’t not pick him at this point. I feel like this is going to me more like the U.S. Open, where he sort of wonders around near the top of the leaderboard, and emerges triumphantly with bagpipes blaring as he strides down the 18th fairway while adoring fans hurl roses from the gallery (people still do that right?). Then this is the scene when he returns from Europe:

Spieth is my pick, but this is the part where I get really chalky. I love the next two guys on the board in Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler as well. I giggled at Tiger being 4th on the board at 17/1. I equally love Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson’s chances as well. I love Koepka. I love everyone. Every time these majors roll around I fall in love with the entire field and get frustrated trying to make picks until I realize the glorious state of the game that we’re currently in. It can’t be said often enough. It’s going to be a pu pu platter of big names on the leaderboard the entire weekend, and I need it to just be Thursday already.

I’m done with the British Open vs. Open Championship debate.

Regrettably, I will not be able to live tweet the coverage this weekend. I’ll be watching Thursday from my hotel room in DC, Friday from my flat in Amsterdam, but will be off to Scotland to spray some sauce of my own, and witness an Open Championship at St. Andrews in person. The rest of the NLU gang should have you covered: 

. There’s also a lot of other people that I would recommend you follow during the week, but I hate listing them out because it’s inevitable that I would miss some people.

Since I won’t be around, I might as well get the Patrick Reed jokes out of the way now. He’s flying way under the radar this week, and I think we should start being concerned about whether or not we’re going to have an international incident on our hands this week. Wearing the scripting below, and majestically galloping around on a horse and stabbing players with five irons like a spear is an act of war on foreign soil. Does he even make it on the plane back to the states, or is he shipped directly to the International Criminal Court in The Hague?

This week marks the the one year anniversary of #PrayForTedScott (

). It’s been a long year for you Teddy, but we think about you every day.

Enjoy the week, everyone. Spieth be with you.

2015 British Open Preview

I love the John Deere. Course is pure, rookie bombthreats galore, Midwestern charm abounds, and fantastic teemarkers. Top 10 event of yr IMO



— Tron Carter (@TronCarterNLU) 

The JD captured my heart when Esteban Toledo was leading until a spectator nuked his vibe w/ a “HOLY TOLEDO!” call on a tee ball. — Tron Carter (@TronCarterNLU) 

The list of winners is a hilarious smattering of wily vets (I see you, 

), young guns (in recent yrs), and a ton of Steve Stricker.



— Tron Carter (@TronCarterNLU) 

Tron speaks for all of us in that this is one of our favorite tournaments of the year. Young guys trying to YOTTO amongst the old dudes who own this place (i.e. Stricker/ZJ), a super easy course which yields 

low scores, and a healthy smattering of no-namers and randos to make for some especially pithy jokes and ultra rich side-conversations throughout the weekend. But it goes deeper than that. The four of us are proud of our midwest ties and enjoy pimping the heartland. The Quad Cities stop has a great history (Payne Stewart won the 1982 edition of the Miller High Life QCO for his first Tour victory; David Toms captured his first title here in 1997; and of course Spieth a couple years ago at the age of 19), and boasts some of the best community support on the entire tour, along with a great corporate sponsorship situation. In short, it represents a lot of what’s right with the tour and doesn’t get enough recognition for that.

Found this on the course today and thought of you 

Situated against the Rock River in Silvis, Illinois (one of the four quad cities), birds have been getting poached here since 2000 at a fully-explicable clip.

Seriously, since the course moved to this farmland locale in the middle of nowhere, the ‘

 winning score is -16, with Steve Stricker setting the scoring record in 2010 at -26. The course is so easy that Stricker shot 60 on Thursday that year…. 

. Seriously. He was -11 after day one, and not leading the tournament. Paul Goydos shot an opening round 59, finished at -24, and 

The D.A. Weibring design is less than spectacular both visually, and from a challenge perspective. The wide, rolling fairways give the players a green light to fire away with the driver, and the only par 4’s with any real teeth are the 9th (503 yards), the 15th (484 yards), and the 18th (476 yards, with a tough dogleg, and a green guarded by water). Despite the length of these holes, you’ll still see the longer hitters take 3 wood on them due to the firmness of the fairways. Soly played the course a few years ago, and noted that it’s an easy course even for an amateur.

The Quad Cities are located at the junction of the Mississippi and Rock Rivers, and used to serve as a major port in the mid 19th century during the industrial revolution. Beginning in the late 1970’s, economic conditions forced major industrial restructuring, which led to many companies relocating and scaling back their operations along these rivers. In recent years, significant progress has been made by the city governments to redevelop the region. Despite this, it’s hard not to feel like you’re in a time capsule looking back at what was once such a proud symbol of American capitalism, especially in and around Rock Island.

Set against the Illinois/Iowa border, this tournament is truly the most midwestern event 

. It’s basically a Big Ten clash between Illinois and Iowa fans, but for once they’re rooting for bosses of their sport rather than an Illini-Hawkeye Big Ten pillow fight on the gridiron. Honestly, the people drive hours to root for one of two guys. Those in orange pull for Illinois grad and three time champion Steve Stricker, and those in black and yellow are pulling for Wiz Khalifa Zach Johnson. In true midwestern fashion, just about every fan there thinks they know Strick and ZJ as personal friends, just because they’re wearing their school colors or their uncle’s best buddy’s son’s wife is somehow connected. You’ll hear plenty of first name basis yells on the broadcast for these two players from the masses who treat this event like it’s a family reunion.

It’s impossible to discuss the merits of the Quad Cities without referencing their favorite sons, hailing from Davenport, Iowa:

Brian Harman, another of the many thoroughbreds from UGA Racing Stables, broke through last year for his first career PGA Tour win. Again, I’ll throw it to TronCarter for his thoughts:

(all lines courtesy Ladbrokes.com, the Official Bookmaker of NoLayingUp.com)

*Little known fact– the term “horse for course” was coined specifically to describe the following two dudes:

 – A win and three runner-ups over the last six years will get you certified horse status.

 – Since going three-peat in 2009/10/11, he hasn’t finished worse than T11 in the last three years. Even semi-retired and lacking much form this year, he’s an obligation play.

 – “Hit it again.”–Hans Gruber. Coming right back to the well here. His form is ON POINT (with Tom Ashbrook) as Tony hasn’t finished outside the top 25 in his last seven starts dating back to the Wells Fargo. His prodigious length could re-write scoring records if he’s clicking.

 – The Illinois grad is trending in the right direction with a T25 and T13 last two starts. Each week has included a third round clunker (73 and 74, respectively). If he can put together 4 rounds, he’s got enough to win.

 – Pretty quietly having a good run of it over the last two years, as he was 46th in the FedEx last year, and currently sits 64th. Maybe the most anonymous American ranked in the top 100 of the OWGR? Anyway, outside an MC at the US Open, George is playing good golf with 5 top-25’s in nine starts since the start of April. Feels like the kind of profile who can and has won here.

continuing to use its exemptions on top-ranked young players

. This year it’s Bryson DeChambeau (NCAA Individual Champ from SMU), Lee McCoy (another Georgia Bulldog on his way), Brian Campbell (played at Illinois, finished T27 at US Open), and Patrick Rodgers (you should know who he is).

Louis Oosthuizen ain’t playing again this year, which is notable only because his two passions are 

 At this point I’m worried there’s some sort of rift in this love affair. He hasn’t cheated on Deere with Kubota has he?

Since 2008, tournament organizers have chartered a flight leaving Sunday evening and flying non-stop to Great Britain for Open Championship participants. Affectionately known as ‘Air Deere,’ it’s a 767 that has lured many players who otherwise would have skipped the event to come play the Quad Cities. Pretty cool to think the vast majority of guys are playing this week for a seat on that bird. Do you over-pack in advance on the off chance of winning, or ball out in the Old Course pro shop if need be? Latter, for sure.

We joke about a lot of things, but this ain’t one of them–John Huston needs to be formally involved in the proceedings this week. I’m thinking at least something of an honorary wedge shot to start the event a la Arnie, Jack and Gary at Augusta. The guy won seven times on the PGA Tour, only one of those with a score worse than 13-deep! This guy practically invented the bird sanctuary. Long past time to honor him.

Sadly, no Dick Mast on the list of alternates this week.

Enjoy the week and catch us on twitter during coverage 

2015 John Deere Classic Preview

Take me home, country roads: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/19294911″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] The annual Greenbrier Classic at the base of the Appalachian Mountains in southern West Virginia is where we’re headed this weekend, so grab your coonskin caps and moonshine…it’s about to get Wild and Wonderful!

The Tour is at the Greenbrier this week because of a dude named Jim Justice. But there’s a bit more to the story than just that…

You see, per Wikipedia (this is all gonna be pretty much per Wikipedia for those scoring at home), the Greenbrier filed for bankruptcy in 2009, listing debts of $500 million against assets of just $100 million. Possessing an accounting degree, I am qualified to tell you this represented a less-than-ideal financial situation (I have to imagine there were some SERIOUS questions about the resort’s ability to continue as a going concern in the periods leading up to ’09). So anyway, deep in the throes of financial disarray, the key domino leading to an eventual Tour event falls in late 2008 when the electorate of Greenbrier County “narrowly pass a local option referendum” which allows gaming at the resort. Now, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in life it’s this: the house always wins (Period. Point blank). Create an opportunity for someone to assume the role of House, and you’re gonna attract a lot of big-boy money, like moths to a flame.

Enter Jim Justice, West Virginia native, billionaire, and 2016 gubernatorial candidate. Jimmy made his money across the farming, milling, and mining games. While apparently being a 

really doesn’t feel like paying fines incurred by his hazardous mines

. In other words, he sufficiently fills out the profile of the greasy, big-money casino owner (

And owner he became in early 2009 when he bought the Greenbrier for a reported $20 million, in the process guaranteeing all the resort’s debts. Before securing ownership, though, Justice had to settle with the Marriott Corporation (they had run the hotel previously) for an undisclosed sum, as J.W. and the Fellas claimed to have a valid contract which afforded them an option to purchase the hotel. But with all the i’s dotted and t’s crossed, the Tour quickly came calling in 2010 and the rest is history.

JJ’s wallet isn’t the only mega-girthy thing about him.

 named for Jim Justice) will be the site of this event through the 2021 season. The first year of the event, the Old White played to about 7,000 yards, with lots of rain mixed in, making it an absolute dart fest. Stuart Appleby shot a final round 59 to win, and that same week there was a 60, 61, 62, and ten 63’s. The course was abruptly lengthened to nearly 7,300 yards beginning in 2011 while also joining the TPC network. It still fits the bill as a scoring fest, just not in the record breaking fashion that we saw in the inaugural year. It’s signature hole is the simple, 160 yard, par-3 finishing hole, which has provided some drama in recent years–Appleby making bird for 59 in 2010, Scott Stallings snaking in a bird during the playoff in 2013, and, really, that’s about it I guess.

My experience with West Virginia basically consists of whipping my car along I-64 making my way to and from school (two things still standout–the ultra curvy stretch of toll road between Beckley and Charleston, and the must-stop travel plaza outside Beckley that had a Sbarro’s). So seeing as though Soly has family ties rooted in West Virginia, I’m just gonna let his comments from last year ride:

Wild and wonderful West Virginia is the subject of a lot of jokes (and I haven’t even mentioned the 

era at WVU yet), particularly of the incestuous nature, but it is also one of the most beautiful states in the entire nation. My great grandfather landed in Parkersburg, West Virginia nearly 100 years ago, and I was born in West By God Virginia and into tortuous, diehard Mountaineer fandom in the mid ’80’s. Since then, nearly all of my family and extended family has moved from the state, but the spirit of West Virginia still lives in us (incredibly cheesy, but true).

What The Mountain State lacks in education, industry, and teeth (I’m allowed to make these stereotypical jokes, you are not), it makes up for with a magnificent landscape, scenery, and old fashioned southern hospitality. West Virginians are a proud, proud people, as many have lived there their entire lives. The coal industry employs 30,000 West Virginians, although Obama’s “War on Coal” lead to a 40% decline in exports in 2013. While the rest of the country has grown up and adapted to the ever growing information age, West Virginia truly feels a generation or two behind.

As far as the crowd you can expect at The Classic, be prepared to see cut-off tees and awkwardly tall hats with the patented WVU logo on the top (most assuredly a gas station purchase). Mustaches and long hair will be a fixture, and these fans will flock to the Bubba Watson grouping in droves, immune to the reality of who Bubba truly is. While the Greenbrier resort itself is nice, there is NOTHING to do around the area. I mean, nothing. The resort literally brings in entertainment every year to prevent the players from blowing their brains out, as they practically are not allowed to leave the premises (more on this in 

The Pato went 64-64 on the weekend to run down Billy Hurley III and hold off a slew of others while simultaneously murdering the best resume in golf history. Now Cabrera has a wholly bourgeois Greenbrier Classic win that must be acknowledged, begrudgingly, next to his prior two career Tour wins–the 2007 US Open (at freaking Oakmont) and 2009 Masters triumph.

All jokes aside, I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for Cabrera, both on the course and off. I was thrilled to see him win. He’s completely self-made, growing up playing money games against fellow caddies back home in Argentina after leaving a broken home and dropping out of school. Just a big, powerful dude that gets after the ball, he’s an antidote to guys like Stew “Babies the Ball” Cink and some of the young robots scurrying around the tour these days. He plays the game with a sort of gruff, artistic flair which I really enjoy. On top of it all, he’s been the source of two of the absolute best quotes:

“Well, there are some players that have psychologists, some have sportologists, I smoke.”

US Open post-victory interview, after hammering darts down the stretch.

“I try to show that I have no fear. When you grow up hungry, you’re not afraid of anything.”

I’m going to be upfront with you–I didn’t really want to grind on past histories, etc. this week. I think this tourney is pretty wide open, unless someone like JB Holmes or Bubba simply overpowers the course. Anyway, I’ll shoot from the hip with four guys I like. :

 – Form over odds here. 4 top-10’s including two playoff losses in his last seven starts. Love his competitiveness. Think (and hope) he breaks through shortly.

– Again, it’s form over odds. The Nuclear Football is playing really good golf, can make a bunch of birdies, and appears primed. I’d love him at 50/1, but will still take him here.

– form isn’t great, but…haha just kidding, I wouldn’t take him at 300/1.

 – Charged hard last weekend at the Travelers for a T7. Saw him play really well in US Open qualifying. Nothing more than a hunch, and not at great odds. Whatever.

 – Gimmie the defending champ at 100/1. Last year was first time playing Greenbrier and if Augusta is any indication, El Pato seems to *really* like certain courses. Old White may one, and if so, these odds are way too low. Not much recent form though.

The Greenbrier is one of two places (Jack’s Muirfield being the other) to host both a Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup. Sam Snead was Pro Emeritus later in his life, while Tom Watson currently holds that distinction. (Note: Thanks to Clubber below, we are informed Lee Trevino is the current Pro Emeritus, as Tom’s reign ended (I honestly didn’t know ‘Emeritus’ distinctions ended for anything but death)).

In case you’re wondering, you can go play The Old White and it’ll only cost you $385 (plus forecaddie) to do so. $335 if you’re staying at the hotel. Allow me to get real for a second–who in the hell is dropping close to four bills to play this place? Yeah it’s a nice course, and I get there aren’t other options in the area, but Jesus that’s a lot of money.

On that topic, if it’s me, I’m gonna opt out of the golf and all the way into falconry at the Greenbrier. From their 

: “We encourage you to get up close and personal with these majestic birds. During each lesson, you’ll get the opportunity to interact with our trained hawks and falcons as well as learn the history behind this sport of kings, which has been performed for over 4,000 years.” OK!

Another very interesting attraction at the Greenbrier is the Bunker. A 112,000 square foot fallout Bunker built underneath the resort into a mountainside in 1961, the Bunker was a fully operational site where all of Congress could go in case Cold War shenanigans got a bit too real. It was kept operational until 1992 when a Washington Post article outed it for what it was. It was quickly decommissioned thereafter. 

 more info on the bunker if you’re so inclined.

They’re going country this year at the annual tournament concert series, with Keith Urban, The Band Perry, Miranda Lambert, and Blake Shelton performing. Last year was Maroon 5 and Jimmy Buffet. As always, though, it’s gonna be a lot of white people dancing:

Phil Mickelson was in the news this week as part of a federal money laundering/gambling ring. ESPN’s Outside the Lines 

. I’m not sure what will come of it, but I know it’s not a great look for Lefty. Although his penchant for sports gambling is probably the worst-kept secret on Tour, it’s never good to be wiring 

 types of people. More so, if he really needed to move money around outside government purview, why didn’t he just enlist a couple of his sponsors like Barclays and Exxon? (Hey-yo!!)

Finally, have we really gotten to the point where Big Cat’s appearance only commands a cursory mention? (I think we have). In fact, I am more excited to see Dick (Full) Mast’s name on the alternates list.

2015 Greenbrier Classic Preview

Hungover doesn’t begin to describe how I’m feeling this week. I’m likening Spieth’s win at the Masters to my (hypothetical) bachelor party: All fun, riveting, balls to the wall (ball striking) fiesta. The U.S. Open came with the stress of a wedding, with many people involved, a myriad of things that went wrong, and the relief that came on Monday when the craziness had passed and the deed was done. There’s a reason people go on a honeymoon after you get married. You just need a break. Consider the upcoming Travelers/Greenbrier combo platter as the much-needed honeymoon. It’s time to decompress before things ramp back up for The Fifth Major (John Deere) and then a fairly decent stretch of golf beyond that.

Somehow we’re only halfway through the major season, yet there are only nine events left in the 2014-15 PGA Tour season before the 

 (Finchy, you’re reading, right?) FedEx Cup playoffs begin. We’re gettting into crunch time, folks. Guys best start jockeying for position if they want a shot at that $10 million annuity OIL they’re giving out in Atlanta. Anyway, on to this week’s event…

What can be said about the fabled TPC River Highlands course that hasn’t been said already, amirite?

The jewel of Greater Hartford stretches to just over 6,800 yards and will play as a par-70. 

 (stickiest of the icky) that “meanders over 148 acres, with stately corridors of mature maple, oak, sycamore, and eastern white pine trees framing gently rolling fairways.”

Naturally–you read the linked description, right?–it’s been “named by 

as ‘One of the Top 10 Golf Courses in Connecticut.'”

Wait, is this a competitive list? I’m honestly asking. I’d think any course hosting a PGA tournament in a state the size of my left shoe would auto-qualify. Amusing they felt the need to highlight this ‘distinction.’

Anyway, it’s an ultra-gettable track that annually rolls over and yields lots and lots of birdies. I’ve seen quite a few caddies and players dapping TPC River Highlands on twitter this week – seems like they genuinely enjoy coming here on an annual basis, and that’s manifested in the relative strength of the field. Speaking of the field, by all accounts the tournament organizers put on a first class event and really outkick their coverage as to the quality of the field. However, it seems another weapon in their arsenal is their propensity for using sponsor’s exemptions on amateurs and guys who just turned pro, seemingly moreso than other events. This year is no different, with Arizona State’s Jon Rahm (#RahmThreat), newly minted pro Cheng Tsung Pan, and UGA stud Lee McCoy. This M.O. seems to pay dividends as guys return here year after year and don’t soon forget who gave them a shot early on. Hell, Patrick Cantlay still holds the course record here (60), which he set a few years back as an amateur.

Hartford is DEEP in the insurance game. And granted we’re discussing a golf tournament here, I’ll hazard a guess and say the people showing up for this party skew to the conservative side. It’s pretty disappointing to have only two par 5’s on the entire course (granted there’s also a sweet short par 4) when there are actuaries roaming the place, practically trolling for risk.

Aside from the prevalent actuary vibe, this week always conjures images of former champ JJ Henry in his patented purple mock turtle dancing in my head (aside from the obvious TCU/K-State distinction, JJ’s gotta be pissed that Bob Streb pirated his look the last eighteen months or so). In fact, JJ Henry is a damn-near perfect past champion for the Travelers. Nice guy, wholly non-threatening, rabid Chris Berman fan, and above all, utterly forgettable.

Kevin Streelman won last year with the most impressive closing stanza you’ll ever see (

 to beat Sergio :(, KJ and Badds (before he ejected on 18). But Fil and Tron’s writeup from last year on the 2013 champion was too good to try to top, so I’m leaving it here:

With an effort that surely had Ollie Cromwell himself beaming with pride, and which held rapt all of Buckingham Palace, Ken Duke held off Chris Stroud in a two-hole playoff to capture his first career PGA Tour win. At 44 years young he became the oldest first-time winner on Tour since (Steady) Ed Dougherty won at the age of 47 in 1995. NLU’s own Fil watched the action at home, draped in a British flag, sobbing at the perfect symmetry of Sir Ken winning the event just months after the passing of the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher. Life imitating art. A huge boost for all of the United Kingdom. What a special moment it was last year.

It was a moment, though, that didn’t seem to stand a chance of occurring. Bubba Watson was in cruise control, having entered the final round tied for the lead, and standing on the 16th tee box 13 deep. That’s 

Bubba made triple, shot 70 (which is really like 74), and missed the playoff by two. NLU, needless to say, was crestfallen.

Chris Stroud holed this chip on 18 to force the playoff:

 – Finished T30 in ’13 in only appearance with back to back 66’s on Fri/Sat. Sign me up. He’s pretty much a copy/paste in each preview going forward, because I’m confident he’s going to get a win this year.

– Ten Top 25’s in 18 starts this year, he’s due to snag a win.

– Promises to be well-rested after enjoying a few weeks off, which is key for the oft-injured Canuck. Finished solo 3rd here in ’13 and Tron’s upped his guidance on DeLaet to a strong buy, especially at these odds.

 – I have a fear that the first week I take him out of the picks he’s going to win so this will just be here for eternity.

– New England native, thrives on short tracks, and enjoying a really solid rookie season thus far (90th in FC standings w/ four top 10’s including a playoff loss in Puerto Rico). Short, straight hitter who should thrive on this layout.

: On the crappy value end of the spectrum, Patrick Reed (16/1) looks hungry, Serg (15/1) is in form and plays well here, and Bubba (12/1) is always a terrorist in these parts. I’m a little worried about U.S. Open hangover from that group, although Gerry should be well rested considering he punched the clock at 5:00 on Friday and peaced out for the weekend.

I didn’t get around to a US Open recap, as there were too many other good ones floating around. However, I want to expand on some initial comments I made about the greens: 

The conversation on twitter got a little out of hand on Sunday regarding the greens at Chambers Bay. It was my mistake to try to make my point in 140 characters, because it was way too easy for people to lazily respond “EVERYONE HAS TO PLAY THEM, WHO CARES.” I typically use this rationale when discussing the US Open when it comes to the setup. By all means, I’m fine with the distance, the deeper rough, the firmer greens, and the overall challenge that comes with something different than the typical mass aviation execution that we see week to week on the PGA Tour. However, when it comes to the 

 of the course, it’s not fair to just say “who cares, everyone’s gotta putt on them.” The first factors I mentioned add to mystique and the uniqueness that is the US Open. Having your greens roll like cobblestone streets do not help the USGA’s mission of identifying the best golfer one single bit. In fact, it neutralizes the field, and adds a (large) element of luck to the act of getting the ball into the hole. Spieth’s putt on 1 on Sunday didn’t touch the hole from 3′. Since when have we ever seen that from The Golden Child (yes, this should be capitalized going forward people)? Bottom line is, the tournament came down to a 4′ putt from Dustin Johnson that he had to stand over and know that the ball was not going to roll true, and that the outcome was going to be in the hands of the broccoli/cauliflower greens. And we watched in horror as the putt didn’t touch the hole.

Horschel obviously voiced his displeasure, which he has since apologized for. I backed him up on Sunday, and was accused of playing favorites, saying I wouldn’t say the same if it was Bubba or Poulter complaining. Well of course Poulter couldn’t help himself, and followed suit a few hours later. And guess what: I agree with Poults! The greens were disgraceful, and these weren’t the only two players to voice their displeasure. Even of those that stayed quiet, there wasn’t much defending of the putting surfaces going on, and there were many other veiled criticisms throughout the week.

The absolute worst argument I heard is “are the players gonna just boycott it next year?” Skip Bayless thinks this is next level trolling. 

 thinks that this is a red herring. If you were one of the many people that said this last week, you are inadvertently making my point for me: there is no reason the greens should not be rolling smooth, and you’re just arguing for an unrealistic and irrelevant extreme.

This worked out well two weeks ago, so I’ll try this again. I’m in Normandy this weekend (so don’t expect much coverage from me). Does anyone have any recommendations for the area?

 Monday qualified in – paging Adam Sarson, is he real? For that matter, are French Canadians real? And at what point do Mike Weir’s exemptions run out? Or is the dream perpetually alive until he turns fifty and menaces the Senior Canadian Tour in perpetuity?

Off the topic of golf, but pertaining to Connecticut…someone tweeted 

 out a few weeks ago (can’t remember who, but the article is about seven years old) and I really enjoyed.

Lastly, this week’s U.S. Senior Open will be appointment viewing for me, partly because I love watching Monty hit the golf ball, but mostly because I want to see if Fox learned ANYTHING from last week that they can put into practice immediately. It will be telling.

Enjoy the week, welcome back CBS (no seriously, NEVER BEEN SO THANKFUL FOR YOU GUYS, WELCOME BACK!!!) and catch us on twitter during coverage 

2015 Travelers Championship Preview

What a day! On behalf of No Laying Up, I was honored to take part in the 

 charity golf tournament out at TPC Stonebrae just East of Hayward, CA. The course is unreal but the people are what make this event and organization amazing. It was not a bad way to spend a Friday. Below is a bit of background and a few musings about a day spent some of the USA’s bravest citizens.

Founded by Phil and Amy Mickelson in 2006 (Phil really is the People’s Champ…love that guy), Birdies for the Brave is a PGA Tour outreach program dedicated to honoring and showing appreciation to the courageous men and women of the United States Armed Forces and their families. It supports a network of charities that assist combat-wounded veterans, and several of these non-profits were onsite at TPC Stonebrae to lend support and build awareness, including:

 – provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors.

 – Awesome program that unites U.S. military families who face physical separation by facilitating the bonding experience of reading aloud together.

 – mortgage-free, specially adapted homes nationwide for severely injured Veterans Post-9/11, to enable them to rebuild their lives.

These organizations and their spokesmen and women were inspiring. The USA has been in ongoing conflict for over 13 years, and that conflict has been waged by brave men and women, who volunteered to defend this country. For many, scars of combat run deep and are irreversible. It’s simply not enough to just thank these veterans for their service in passing or re-tweet a sappy Budweiser Ad during the Superbowl. This type of shallow gratitude is something I and too many Americans deem ‘enough.’ The conflict rages far from home, and though I haven’t served, events like today’s tournament remind me that there is much to be done here at home for these veterans and their families through the donation of time and money.

I was moved by the missions of the charities above, and the stories of the wounded veterans they are supporting as they try to adjust to life after combat. As the event’s keynote speaker 

 said, it does no good to wait for the government to plug the gaps in care that veterans receive when so much can be done by private organizations, caring communities, and assertive individuals. That’s what I witnessed today, and if you’ve read this far, I hope you consider donating to one of the charities above. Or, check out 

 for upcoming Birdies for the Brave tournaments in your area and see for yourself!

As for the golf, TPC Stonebrae is quite a track up in the hills East of San Francisco Bay. The undulating fairways and mound infested greens weave there way around rocky outcroppings and golden California tumbleweed with sweeping views of the South Bay from almost every hole. The course is phenomenally maintained by superintendant Dave Davies and his team as they prepare for the upcoming Web.com tournament, The Stonebrae Classic, July 16th-19th (sidenote: Tony Finau won the Stonebrae Classic in 2014 and is T5 heading into the weekend at Chamber Bay…this guy is a Bomb Threat people: he’s a 6’4,” American Samoan and Jabari Parker’s cousin, consider yourself warned about his 

 potential). As part of the TPC family, the course reserves two days a year where it can utilize the golf course for charity events free of charge (meaning just about every dime went straight to veterans). The Birdies for the Brave tournament consisted of a 4 man scramble (with mulligans available for purchase, awesome wrinkle)…the winning score was 51 (lolz). My group lacked any sign of pop and shot 68, ya hate to see such a feeble performance though we did reach every par 5 in two.

The highlight of the day had to be the No Laying Up sponsored #TourSauce competition on the 1st tee. Here are a few pics:

The Official, USA certified #TourSauce Judge

The Colonel with a solid “attempt” at the Wayward Drive point…usually done post tee shot Colonel!

No Laying Up

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