Look out everyone – here comes substitute teacher Neil! A trio of Big Randy, KVV, and Neil form to chat mostly about golf all the way across the world.


(3:55) A sign of life from Collin Morikawa, who won the ZoZo Championship after going two years without a win. Morikawa won by a significant margin, carding a bogey-free 7-under 63. But uh, what does ZoZo do? Neil reveals they are an e-commerce company based out of Japan.

Randy’s excited about a Collin win, but meanwhile, KVV is struggling to root for Collin. When it comes to golf, there are aspects of Collin’s game that are outstanding – so why isn’t he winning more? Seems like the change to the pencil grip has finally paid off.

The guys debate the success of various professional golfers and the success with their signature grips. 

(17:00) How good of a Settlers of Catan player is Collin Morikawa?


(22:00) Once again, trying to understand the fall series and what it means to its competitors.

(27:40) Neil, KVV and Randy decide if they are buying/selling Collin in 2024. What does his legacy mean re: him vs. Viktor, his long-term projections and how far his iron play can actually take him. They then dive into some other big-name Fall series guys who chased down Morikawa, including Eric Cole, Beau Hossler and Justin Suh.

(44:30) In a bit of a throwback to one of her biggest career highlights, Minjee Lee defeated Alison Lee in a playoff at the BMW Ladies Championship (Hint: She did so to win the U.S. Girls’ Junior in 2012). Randy leads the breakdown, and notes Minjee has joined some elite company in becoming a two-time winner this season: Lilia Vu and Celine Boutier (3), and Jin Young Ko and Ruoning Yin (2).

Minjee’s win serves as a nice reminder of just how on top of the professional game she remains – as KVV points out, she led pro golf last year in strokes gained in every distance against any player on the PGA Tour last year.

(50:00) Is a Lydia Ko revival in the works? In collecting her first top-ten since the start of her 2023 season, she may need to string a few good weeks in order to make the Tour Championship – an event where she is the defending champion. There are three more events until the season finale – and it should be pretty interesting to see who locks up a spot in the event.

Randy goes down the leaderboard and extends his well wishes to the family of Kevin McAlpine, who suddenly passed away this weekend. He was the previous caddie for Lexi Thompson and former husband of Anna Nordqvist. Nordqvist WD’d from the event.


(55:50) Bienvenido a Miami! The LIV Team Championship. Note: The guys recorded this before the conclusion of play.


I’m not even gonna lie, I genuinely had no idea how this event even worked, but thanks to Neil, I am a much more educated golf fan. But there was a stroke play finale on Sunday where all 48 players were counting scores toward their respective remaining teams. However, only four teams advanced from the semifinals and were competing for the $14M top prize: Crushers GC, Torque, 4 Aces and RangeGoats GC. I just learned three of those existed today.

Crushers GC, led by Bryson DeChambeau, ultimately came out on top – congrats to KVV for making the right pick.


Randy doesn’t like the try-hard LIV vibe. Neil roasts the fashion, and how one can actually enjoy a LIV broadcast…if anyone knows, please let me know.

(1:04:50) Maybe we won’t see the framework agreement go through this year, but could we see some more players jumping to LIV? But also, is anyone watching this?

Check out the No Laying Up Pro Shop! Big restock on the ladies collection. There’s plenty of fun fall collections out, including the FootJoy Fall Collection 

and No Laying Up x Holderness and Bourne.

Randy, I am also professional golf fatigued. Aside from the LPGA – which probably deserves a schedule re-do – I’m struggling to care that much about professional golf. Can I miss it a little? 

(1:01:00) The pop of color argument is valid, but I’m not sure DJ leaving Adidas makes him, in the words of ASAP Rocky, a “fashion killa.” Feels like he’s still somewhat in his comfort zone. Not really the best source of fashion inspo here, Neil.


(1:01:20) “A lot of these guys are dressing like clowns with these crew socks. And the logos? I can’t believe we’re still going with the clip art stuff. It’s unbelievable.” -Neil


(1:13:20) “There just seems to be such a disconnect between them wanting to make golf this cool hip thing and me thinking ‘Guys, golf is never gonna be cool – it’s just not that cool!’” -Randy

Angel Yin (4th) who is fresh off of her first career LPGA victory

Atthaya Thitikul (T5) who bounced back from a tough summer, notches her second top-five in a row

NLU Young Hitter Lauren Coughlin (T10) sits just outside the top 60

Perrine Delacour goes 66-66: “I believe we call that the Mackenzie Hughes.” -Randy

Sung-Hyun Park – the 2017 Player of the Year – a T16 is her best finish all year.


Will Haskett: Minjee Lee 2022 GOAT iron play stat

 (2:05) Thanks to our friends over at FootJoy. You know the benefit of having FootJoy on your feet, but with the Thermoseries layering system, you can golf in more conditions to extend your season. Visit the FootJoy website 

(43:00) Shoutout to our friends at Precision Pro – who exclusively carry the No Laying Up rangefinder carrying case! Don’t wait – 

and save 20 % off your order using the code “NoLayingUp”.

A fresh, funny discussion of all things golf from the guys at No Laying Up. Episodes air twice a week and topics include tournament recaps, interviews, deep dive player profiles, golf travel, and more.

No Laying Up Podcast

NLU Podcast, Episode 756: ZoZo Championship Recap (+ Show Notes)

This week's episode is an NFL check-in with Tron, Randy, KVV and Mr. Poosh (aka Micah Pueschel of the band Iration). With the season about a quarter of the way complete, it's time to revisit some preseason thoughts, issue some mea culpas, examine the biggest stories around the league, and much more. Enjoy!

The No Laying Up collective chops it up with a wide variety of guests from all corners of the golf world, and more importantly, guests from the golf-adjacent world. 



TrapDraw Podcast

Episode 260: Talkin' NFL Ball

Ahead of the start of the 2023-24 NBA season, Soly catches up with Steph Curry who was just named the 2023 Charlie Sifford Award winner for his efforts in advancing diversity in the game of golf. We cover Steph's work with the Underrated Golf Tour and the Howard University golf teams plus his current competitive golf aspirations and his plans for golf when his basketball career comes to a close. We also get into his thoughts on the Ryder Cup and some comparisons to his experiences with USA Basketball.

24:20 Ryder Cup and USA Basketball overlap

Here’s a sneak peek of the convo with Steph... (Note: Full answers edited for clarity and conciseness.)

 Is there no golf during basketball season? You gotta get some stuff in while you're on the road. I know you got a favorite course in each city when the weather permits.

 Yeah, it is kind of hit or miss. I would say it probably averages like twice a month during the season. You're dealing with daylight, obviously, with practice. Like you can't get outta the gym early enough to go out and make it worth it. Then we're hitting east coast cities most of the winter. So yeah, I'd say probably twice a month. But spring and then come playoff time, I actually play a lot more. It's great. Kind of a balance of the intensity and the pressure of the season and being able to get away for a little bit when I can fit it in and not wear myself out either.

 Somebody's gotta get into your Wikipedia page. They have you as a five-handicap in there. What is the actual index these days?

 So after every handicap disclaimer, you gotta have a whole kind of essay before I actually say the number. I had played the best golf in my life this summer. I had to put in a bunch of tournament scores this year, so I actually got down to a plus-three at one point. So obviously I wasn't winning too many bets after that. Definitely a nice vanity handicap, but it's tough when, I'll probably play to it for probably three weeks in the summer and then the closer you get to the season, you gotta carry it, but we'll see what happens.

NLU Podcast, Episode 755: Steph Curry

Soly has declared the fall series a 1-hour or less podcast challenge! TC and KVV co-pilot as the trio embarks on a brief but informative Sunday recap.


(2:45) TC, notorious for his Tom Kim hate train (get out of the way, Thomas The Tank Engine), offers a short history lesson on his least fave – he’s been a pro for 

years! Kim had some big expectations coming out of 2022, but other than a repeat winner at the Shriners, the only other noise he’s made were some big finishes at the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. The crew debated whether it was overhyped and what his career trajectory could look like. Young Tom Kim edged out Adam Hadwin down the stretch after a costly bogey on 15 took Hadwin out of it and Kim cruised with pars on his last three holes.

(13:00) Vegas has so much potential – and with a decent-sized purse and a smaller field, why does Shriners struggle to gain some juice? Well, the guys found some: Tommy Gainey, a known participant in “Operation Santa’s Naughty List,” earned an exemption into the field.

And so did Lexi Thompson – who became the seventh woman to ever play in a PGA Tour event. Lexi battled on Friday to try to make the cut but missed by three shots. Was it the right time to give her that exemption, given her recent struggles? Is Lexi bored of the LPGA?


(27:00) The Spanish Open: Matthieu Pavon, the Frenchman, wins by four over Zander Lombard.

(28:55) Angel Yin and Lilia Vu clash once again in a playoff (TBT to Chevron). This time, Angel comes out victorious at the Buick LPGA Shanghai for her first career victory.


(31:15) King Abdullah Economic LIV City Golf Money Event Thing: Brooks Koepka wins the event, but Talor Gooch wins the season-long points race…and made $35.2M this year alone? Soly then compares LIV earnings to NBA player contracts.

All that aside: In year two, is LIV interesting yet?

(39:00) Some updates on the status of the PGA Tour and PIF framework agreement, including the possibility of extending the deadline of the deal.

(40:50) LIV losing its OWGR bid for ranking points. Phil and his chess moves. Paying players discourse ensues.

(53:15) Are the Jaguars back? And miscellaneous football commentary from the weekend.

(55:40) Pivoting back to golf: More TGL endorsements!

(58:35) Byeong Hun An suspension from the Korean cough syrup.


(59:25) Housekeeping items: KVV’s column, reminding ourselves why we like golf, etc., an NLU Roost Club Championship recap, and WANTED: Ingrid Lindblad’s suitcase snatcher.


(50:30) While I’m all for paying the Ryder Cup players (even if it isn’t an earth-shattering amount) I think there’s a certain level of read-the-room golfers should have when it comes to their demands to command the big bucks. The institution of pro golf has a responsibility to better market you, but so do you! And for the most part, there’s not a lot of captivating characters out here. The general public is pretty lukewarm about the brand of pro golf.

KVV said it best: “They’re so detached from reality. They have no f***ing clue about golf’s position in the world of sports. They wanna be paid like larger sports that generate large amounts of revenue, someone came along to satiate that economic insecurity and it’s not driven by actual interest.”

(19:35) I also have to hand you the worst take, KVV. While I don’t think Lexi playing a PGA Tour event is the most needle-moving thing for women’s golf, I think it brought some of the most intrigue women’s golf has had on a weekday all year. I certainly saw more people talking about it than the LPGA event this week (

) but amplifying women’s golf, especially when it’s breaking the gender barrier, is always a net positive.


(4:30) “It was a rotating cast of mules – and Ludvig.” -T.C.

(9:20) “Country music star Eric Cole with his new single “Boys Trip to Vegas” tops the charts again.” -Soly


(47:35) “No longer reporting TV ratings, that’s chess move number four!” -Soly


Tommy Gainey: Operation Santa Naughty’s List

Bob Harig: A Delay Could Be Coming in the Deal Between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf's Backers

(1:30) This episode is brought to you by our friends at Titleist, the tee-to-green choice for Tom Kim! The major contributor to his back-to-back victories in Vegas: The Pro V1 golf ball and a full bag of Titleist equipment – TSR3 drivers, new T-series irons, four Vokey SM9 wedges and a Scotty Cameron putter. Visit 

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NLU Podcast, Episode 754: Shriners Recap (+ Show Notes)

As he competes this week in Las Vegas, we hear from a longtime friend of the pod, PGA Tour pro Zac Blair. Soly and ZB catch up on the latest with Zac's golf course in South Carolina - The Tree Farm - and the path from his initial work on a site in Utah for The Buck Club to what was ultimately built outside of Aiken, South Carolina. We also get into his road back from a shoulder injury that led to surgery, playing on tour under a major medical exemption, and a lot more.

Here’s a sneak peek of the convo with Zac... (Note: Full answer edited for clarity and conciseness.)

This is maybe my favorite part to ask you about, 'cause I've seen you do it in person. I've watched you sketch it in person, kind of taking all these influences and watch your brain work when you go somewhere to see, see cool things and, and kind of have it contribute towards your dream of building something. What's something specific that you've taken from a certain hole or a certain place you've seen that you're like, "Ah, I want to emulate this on this tee box or this shot from this fairway or this green, this little slope here reminds me of blah blah blah." There's gotta be something that's like, that has driven a specific image or something that, that has played out in this dream that you've built.

Yeah, I mean a lot of 'em. I would say the easiest one to pinpoint would probably be the 18th hole loosely modeled after North Barrack. That was the only kind of thing that I gave Tom like any sort of direction to: "Hey, the 18th hole has to be drivable." That's one of my favorite things ever is getting up to the 18th tee at North Barrack and every single person getting on the tee,  realistically thinking "Man, I could make a two and make an eagle here to finish my round."

So that was something that I was super keen on doing. And in his first variation, the 18th hole was 345 downhill and I was like, "Tom, who do you think is who's driving? I want it like 240 from the normal tee, it plays like 265 right now." So you know, like a lot 90% of the people step up to that tee and they're like, Oh, I can, I can make a two. We've had two hole-in-one on it since we've been open, which is crazy to think and so awesome. Hopefully, that trend continues. So it's been cool. There's like the 15th hole is like a redan, you know, so you obviously see the similarities in that, but there's, you know, the tee markers are like modeled after Pine Valley's.

That was something that I always thought was cool. There's a ton of little things that can kindly be loosely traced back to things that I've liked.  I've got a very long list. That's what I did for like three or four or five years, just go to places and see what makes them great. The one that I'm maybe most proud of has nothing to do with golf and everything to do with just the experience itself, just the whole atmosphere, and the whole vibe that the staff brings day in and day out.

That starts with a little bit of how I wanted it, but certainly, Drew and his whole staff and everyone involved on that side of it does a really good job of making people feel — trying to make it special and making it a cool place and somewhere that they want to be hanging out.

NLU Podcast, Episode 753: Zac Blair

Tron and Randy chop it up this week! They hit on a plethora of airline news, world events, sports, and much more. Enjoy!

Episode 259: TC & Randy Chop Session

Big Randy, Tron and Cody are back with a post-Solheim cup check-in on all things LPGA. We start with Lexi Thompson's appearance in this week's PGA Tour event, some recent comments from LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan about maximizing the tour's financial opportunities and capitalizing on the positive momentum of the Solheim Cup. 

We close with a look at the last couple of tournaments, Epson Tour graduates and some other news and notes.

NLU Podcast, Episode 752: LPGA Check In

The fall series is here! Post-Ryder Cup remains a packed schedule, but there’s still plenty on the guys’ minds on that front. Soly and D.J. are happy to embark on the task, and D.J. is happy to report there were no hat tan lines at Patrick Cantlay’s wedding.


(2:30) “A lesson in expectations,” D.J. calls it, as the Sanderson Farms ended right within the witching hour of NFL Football—but the golf still delivered! Enter a smorgasbord of a playoff in Ludvig Aberg (not phonetic) vs. a former mortgage officer vs. a guy recovering from the putting yips vs. a nearly decade-winless Scott Stallings vs. Henrik Norlander, former college teammate of Patrick Reed.

Allegedly, Luke List’s win probability after he finished 72 holes was a shocking 3 percent—then he sealed his victory with a 45-foot birdie on the very first playoff hole.

After spending a flight back home from Marco Simone with Aberg’s caddie, Jack, DJ was in total shock when he realized Ludvig was playing the Sanderson Farms the following week! A T2 finish is not a bad way to cap off two exhausting back-to-back weeks.

(9:00) It’s early, but how do we feel about the fall series? It’s hard to classify it as anything but a bleak, not-so-interim part of the golf season — it feels like a reverse summer school. Totally OK to admit if you have any PGA Tour golf fatigue—this is a safe space!

The PGA Tour event tier continues to be difficult to define—especially when there’s football and playoff baseball to compete with. Is any of it necessary to enjoy the big-hitter events? No, but there’s some crucial character development going on, and if you wanna be the “I always knew he’d be good” hipster, best to stay on top of fall series happenings.


(18:30) The guys *might* still be on a Ryder Cup high. Some extra thoughts in decompressing—

check out D.J.’s Ryder Cup Team USA post-mortem 

and what he proposes they should do. How could it have gone so *wrong*?! Check out

 D.J. and Soly’s interview with Max Homa for his perspective

The top TWO qualifiers have played in 24 matches in the last 3 Ryder Cups in Europe and have won *how many* matches?! Only 3.

What does culture mean? It’s so much more than the superficial songs and social media stuff, Soly says. Time for a clean slate—and figure some unity out!

Why should Hunter Mahan be involved in the Ryder Cup process? Is the Cat the answer?

(41:30) Hatgate—how real was the protest, and once again, do they have a point?

(46:00) James Nitties joins the guys fresh off of calling the Korn Ferry Tour Championship to talk in-depth about the new talent en route to the PGA Tour. Some fun factoids he dropped: 30 players will now embark on the PGA Tour this upcoming season, and 7 out of the 30 KFT grads are products of the PGA Tour pipeline: Pierceson Coody, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Jacob Bridgeman, Joe Highsmith, Chris Gotterup, Mac Meissner, Parker Coody. But over half of them (18) are rookies!

(1:02:20) D.J. and Soly drop some rising star shoutouts before touching on some miscellaneous items:


(1:04:00) 2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was rained out, and His Excellency was out there playing under a pseudonym??? Hey, Andrew Waterman.

(1:07:30) LPGA:  Hyoo Joo Kim earns her sixth LPGA title with a wire-to-wire win at The Ascendant LPGA, and chatting in-depth about the Lexi Thompson exemption to the Shriners Children’s Open.

(1:12:20) 10 LPGA cards were handed out after the Epson Tour Championship this weekend: Gabi Ruffels, Natasha Andrea Oon, Auston Kim, Jiwon Jeon, Minji Kang, Agathe Laisne, Jenny Coleman, Roberta Liti, Isabella Fierro and Kristen Gillman.

(1:16:10) Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrell Hatton, Shane Lowry and Tom Kim all joined the TGL. But uh, what 

(1:22:10) D.J.’s turn to talk about his Titleist fitting experience and how he’s enjoying his new irons, along with some chatter about the state of their games.

(9:00) Just hear to echo the guys’ sentiments on the fall series. Not sure how to feel about any of it, honestly! Is it worth staying on top of? Yes, but I don’t wanna get good stories’d to death like an NFL Draft broadcast. It’s just not men’s golf’s moment now – but then again, who's to say I’ll still feel this way when there’s no longer a wraparound schedule? I think golf’s greatest superpower oftentimes is its ability to shift the spotlight and amplify that in a really profound way. Like, KFT and Epson Tour finals had some huge implications this week – and the LPGA schedule is heating up as the end of the season approaches. I’m all in on that!

You guys made worst take pretty hard this week. Can I get a bye week on worst take?

(17:40) “Watching you get transformed and fixated on solving the Ryder Cup problem this past week makes me feel so justified.” -Soly, on the success of his Ryder Cup brainwashing

(1:15:50) “This kind of thing didn’t happen when I was living down in Jax. People are walking all over you down there, Soly. You need to rule with an iron fist. Let them know this shit is not acceptable.” -D.J. on Soly solving the mystery of the destroyed Timuquana greens


James Nitties, Golf Channel Broadcaster and former PGA Tour Pro. Check out 

(1:25) The Titleist approach to fitting is built on three dimensions of iron performance: Distance, dispersion and descent angle. The optimal balance of all three will take your game to a new level of approach and consistency. 

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 and use the code “NLU” to get ready to unlock the best version of yourself.


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NLU Podcast, Episode 751: Sanderson & KFT Tour Championship Recap (+Show Notes)

This week's TrapDraw features Soly and Randy chatting about baseball. They begin by discussing the impact of the new rules on their enjoyment of the game, how Soly found his way back to being invested in the sport, what pro golf could (and should) learn from MLB, and finally deliver a postmortem of sorts on the 2023 Cincinnati Reds. Enjoy!

Episode 258: Baseball!

Fresh off his debut Ryder Cup appearance we welcome The Pro, Max Homa, back to the pod for the first of undoubtedly several postmortem episodes recapping the events at Marco Simone. Max takes us through the emotions of the week and during the American rally on Sunday, his partnership with Brian Harman, the mood in the team room after Friday and Saturday, his reaction to the narrative around Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, and the path forward for the US Ryder Cup team in Bethpage and beyond.

Here’s a sneak peek of the convo with Max... (Note: Full answer edited for clarity and conciseness.)

The thing that's on my mind is the six-seven footer on 18 during the singles match. And for anybody who didn't see, it's kinda a shortish par five. You hit your second shot down in the eyelash of the bunker down there on 18. Just take me through from there until the time that the putt hit the bottom of the cup.

Well it's actually funny you start at the end because I was convinced the first tee would be the most nervous I've ever, ever, ever been. And I was so wrong. On the first tee to that moment, I thought I got better as the week went on about like controlling my nerves. It was laughable how nervous I was on the first tee. I felt so calm until right when I stepped into the tee shot, my left leg went nuts. I told Joe, it's like when you're doing a wall sit and you do it a little too long. And he always jokes, he goes, "It's so funny what you feel, 'cause you look so like poised and calm." And I'm like, "Dude, I just like lost control of my body, but I hit the fairway." So I was like, "I'm gonna take that with me."

Fast forward that to the last three holes. That last hole is such a blur to me. When we got home, I nerded out and I told Lacey, I have to watch the last hole in real-time 'cause I don't remember a lot of it. Like I remember what I felt like, I don't remember -- just a lot of it was so blurry. I remember little things. Matt made me putt a 12-inch putt -- it was probably longer than that, but 18 inch put on 17. And I was nervous but I was never missing it.

...and in college, I missed the putt. I three putted my last hole of my collegiate career to lose to Thomas Poeters in match play of the team event. And I was so despondent for like 40 hours. I remember flying to the U.S. Open qualifier and I remember being on the plane saying, I don't know if it will be tomorrow a week from now, a month from now or 10 years from now. I want that putt again.

Like please let me have that putt again. I do not want to end my golfing career without getting an opportunity to show that I can do that.  I know I can do that. It just so happened that the next day I had seven feet to get into a playoff or to keep a playoff going to get into the U.S. Open and I made it. And I remember being over that putt saying, "Bubba, you asked for this. Like you could be nervous, but you asked for this exactly. So you better at least relish the opportunity." And I remember Matt missed and I had seven feet and I remember saying, "You asked, you wanted this, so like flip the nerves. You're, you're nervous but you're not scared. Like you asked for this exact moment and you're getting it in the biggest way." But it was just crazy.

I was basically telling everybody you dream your whole life as every single golfer ever has of making a putt to win the Ryder Cup or making a putt to win the Masters or the U.S. Open. I have never dreamt of making a putt to not lose the Ryder Cup. That was a very different feeling. And I had such a good week personally on the golf course that I knew I would be labeled the choker and it just didn't feel like a fair thing. But I remember I really turned my brain on: You, you wanted this, this is a very cool opportunity. 

But I lost full control of my body. I can't believe watching it that you can't see my legs shaking. I couldn't feel anything, like my legs were like full-blown vibrating. Like I had 50 phones tied to my legs and everyone was calling me.

It was a wild. And I, I, I watched it like, like I said last night, I just don't know how I made it. And that motherf***er was right in the goddamn middle. Like it was the best putt ever. It was crazy. 

NLU Podcast, Episode 750: Max Homa on the 2023 Ryder Cup

Show Notes is a weekly summary of what went down on the Sunday edition of the No Laying Up podcast. Want the TLDR and every reason to listen? A recap of the recap, if you will! Words and research by Jordan Perez.

Molto bene, Team Europe! Luke Donald’s squad reclaimed the Ryder Cup on home soil at Marco Simone, holding off a much too-late charge from a pesky Team USA, 16.5-11.5. It seemed like an outright decimation was in store after Friday’s sweep, but Saturday’s Four-Ball session and some red on the board on Sunday gave the Americans a sliver of hope before Ryder Cup-clinching king Tommy Fleetwood won…partly off of a concession from Rickie Fowler? Yeah, weird.

Buckle up, because we’ve got a spicy Ryder Cup recap to unpack. Soly, D.J. and KVV spent the week on the grounds and today called in noted Team Europe stan TC to celebrate the Vision Fund’s enormous victory.

 The guys start by commending the Team Europe glow-up – and how Rory’s Bethpage prediction might not be so farfetched. Unity and selflessness stand out here. But how dare anyone question how close Team USA was, reminds TC, quoting Steve Stricker’s quote retweet of Jamie Weir’s report.

Indeed, the inseparable locker room had James Harden-level malcontents running amok in the locker room (looking at you, Xander and P). D.J. notes that the result of Sunday’s team-wide hat protest wasn’t convincing, either.

 TC does not hold back on calling out Soly for doubting Team Europe! Soly is terrified and Chef TC’s kitchen is on fire.

The Task Force, much like the Roman Empire, is problematic for various reasons. This feels like an utter and much-needed collapse. Like Caesar, they have seemingly embraced a short-sighted, stubborn mentality that spread throughout the locker room. Stop telling us how close you are–we see right through it, like people who decorate their Instagram with friends they despise.


 Team USA’s foursomes record this year is glaring. KVV pulls up a specific Justin Ray tweet that illustrates its historical context/. Maybe practicing it wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

The crew lay into Xander and Patrick just a little bit more before KVV details his chat with Stefan Schauffele, revealing Stefan’s true feelings about paying players in the Ryder Cup and Jay Monahan. (Note: Since the podcast recording, Tom Kershaw from The Times reported that the PGA of America threatened to kick Xander off of the team due to a contractual dispute)

Patrick 2.0 (Reed to Cantlay) embraced his antihero role in the Ryder Cup – and backed up his alleged issues with some serious play.

Before KVV dips, he addresses his viral cameo in the ZJ TV interview.

 So – do the players have a point about getting paid to play the Ryder Cup? Maybe, but it doesn’t seem like they went about it the right way at all. There’s certainly some question about where the money 

 go – but Soly argues the level of publicity the event gives is a huge boost in itself.

 Let’s shed some positive light on the event – TC goes into his favorite moments from the Europe squad, and the guys segue into the best moments from Sunday singles. Tommy-lad had a legendary point-clinching moment, and Max Homa’s character development thrived from taking that unplayable and the resulting sequence. The guys get into the nitty-gritty of every single match.

 They then issue their individual Ryder Cup grades…

* = Lacks objectivity but dropped solid points.


Soly never picks one. He opens it up by saying he gives more weight to earlier matches but sounds like that 9&7 win made quite the impression on the Team USA guy. Still, I can’t believe that he not only gave Ludvig a better grade than TC, but also, that Soly is even becoming a Ludvig believer in the first place. TC rejoices in the background!


IS it the best yet to come, TC? Or is this just who Matt Fitzpatrick is in the Ryder Cup? It’s not a bad start, but it’s still too early to tell.

TC: No grade? “Feels like Meronk could have come in and been the same guy.”

I see a likeability curve has been given to Hovland. I can’t argue with that.

I’m sensing a pattern of either extremely generous or tough grading from D.J.

Soly: No grade? “I really don’t know what to do here.”

Anti-establishment Big Shot Bob choosing to roll with Pass/Fail just about sums up his Ryder Cup experience.


The class president will always avoid disciplinary action from the professors, especially when he’s the victim. He took his Saturday spat and came out better from it.

A core piece and an incredible player this week. Major contributor to a high-quality golf product!

Absentee to star student glow-up! Set a great example for his peers.

NLU Podcast, Episode 749: Sunday Ryder Cup Recap (+Show Notes)

The Euros continue to dominant the 2023 edition of the Ryder Cup. TM USA finally got a whole point on the board and appeared to be gathering some momentum by the days end. Hat-gate, LaCava vs Rory, and Sunday singles to discuss as we break down all the events of Day 2 at the Ryder Cup.

NLU Podcast, Episode 748: Saturday Ryder Cup Recap

Neil and Cody are back for another wide-ranging installment of The Booth as we talk international power adapters, the finer points of Spanish culture, airline reward programs, the thirtieth anniversary of the events of the Battle of Mogadishu and more.

Episode 257: The Booth Vol 8

The Euros were dominant, the Americans - and the TV coverage - stunk, and we've got a 6.5 to 1.5 score after day one of the Ryder Cup. We break it all down, make some apologies, and look ahead to the remaining two days of competition in Rome.

NLU Podcast, Episode 747: Friday Ryder Cup Recap

Pairings are out for the first session of the 2023 Ryder Cup, and we break down each match, each grouping, what we think happens in the afternoon, our reaction from seeing Marco Simone on Thursday, and try to contain our excitement for the best event of the year.

NLU Podcast, Episode 746: Ryder Cup Pairings Preview

With our resident Euro supporters in transit home from the Solheim Cup we call up Shane Ryan for a thoroughly biased American preview of the 2023 Ryder Cup which (finally) begins this week in Rome. We take a final look at the course and some recent setup changes, the American's approach to the event, our picks for MVP and LVP plus some other predictions and a few listener questions as well.

NLU Podcast, Episode 745: Ryder Cup Preview with Shane Ryan

Randy, TC, Neil and Cody break down their expedition to Finca Cortesin—and the Europe fans are as brazen as ever! The choir of “olés” (Randy and Tron) highlights their big-time…win???

Yeah, the win/tie/retain thing is confusing, so the guys unpack it.


(5:30) Team Europe retains the Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin, 14-14, and the craziest part of it all is not the fact that one more half point would have made it Team USA’s – but the fact that for the first time in Solheim Cup history, Europe has “won” three straight times! Two epic back-to-back birdies from Carlota Ciganda after a shank on 15 made it theirs. Even the King, Felipe VI, pulled up to see his fellow Spaniard.

 the European media call out the disgusting display of rushing the green?! The guys go a little bit into the spectator experience and how intimate, yet disjointed it felt – and how poorly communicated that was in the broadcast.

(25:00) The guys take a deep dive into the matches.


Leona Maguire seized the first point, 4 and 3, while Rose Zhang ended her week with a disappointing Solheim Cup debut.

Megan Khang claimed the first singles point for Team USA in a highlight reel of a match against Linn Grant.

Danielle Kang capped off an inspired week with a victory against Charley Hull, 4 and 2.

Anna Nordqvist knocked out Jennifer Kupcho, 2 and 1.

Lilia Vu took care of Madelene Sagstrom, 4 and 3. Angel Yin took down Celine Boutier, 2 and 1 – which was a big turning point for the United States. (Shoutout to Angel for 

Cheyenne Knight proved herself an incredible captain’s pick and turned her match around down the stretch against Gemma Dryburgh to get a half point.

An electric performance from Caroline Hedwall. After sitting most of the sessions, she put another point on the board for Team Europe after flipping her match and beating Ally Ewing.

The elusive (in terms of broadcast) Maja Stark versus Allisen Corpuz match resulted in Maja holding steady, 2 and 1. It draws a Max Homa comparison from TC. And Baby Shark chants?

Tied up, 13-13, it all comes down to this next match: Carlota Ciganda vs. Nelly Korda. How did it all come together for Carlota and fall apart for Nelly? 

 she have that dawg in her? Time for the O/U major assessment from Neil. Also, a 4-0 week for Carlota!

The anchor match wrapped up a great performance for Lexi Thompson, beating Emily Pederson, 2 and 1, but wasn’t enough to get it done for Team USA.


(1:21:16) Finally, the guys share their nominations for Solheim Cup MVP and LVP. How much of a letdown is this for Team USA, after an opening session sweep? Should Stacy Lewis have gone full send on having players play every single match?

How much did the Team USA data-focused approach help? The Team Europe nutritionist? Let’s assess the jobs done by both Stacy Lewis and Suzann Pettersen.

(1:36:00) Right after the ad read, the guys remark on the lack of information on equipment! But let’s consider the media turnout for a moment – the guys point out there was a bigger showing of American media for the Solheim Cup than the AIG Women’s Open. That may or may not have something to do with the Ryder Cup.


(1:40:00) Hamsterdam time! Chef TC leads a full-blown roast of the venue and broadcast. The spectator experience was a logistical nightmare (running out of food and water!), and the broadcast left out so much context. Why don’t we NFL Redzone quad box this – especially on Sunday singles?

Cody engaged in some investigative reporting on the sponsorship front – sounds like Aramco is percolating re: Solheim Cup!

(1:58:00) Cody then tears into the lack of support the women’s game has had. Then the guys tip their hats to the good golf and how much they love the event.


(1:47:00) Indeed, Randy, it should not be so difficult to try to be a fan of something. A biennial event that platforms the women’s game in a way it seldom sees deserves a better production treatment – not late updates, missed shots, no yardages/club context. It’s especially discouraging when the golf is exceptional. The women are performing – and the entire product needs to act in unison, not just provide lip service.

I don’t feel the need to award anyone the worst take, other than the fact that I know the Team Europe peeps are feeling really high off this “win” but the revenge game will be so, so, sweet. We unearthed a few killers from this Team USA group who seem super moved by team competition – Lexi and DK – and the momentum should easily translate in a back-to-back year. I like the culture this Team USA is forming and hope more of that is solidified next year.

TC: “Neil was saying John Solheim looked like the Jurassic Park founder.”

Neil: “From the first one, the guy with the hat. He’s a big visionary thinker but then things got kind of out of hand.”

(1:00:00) “Maja Stark, doo doo doo doo doo doo, Maja Stark doo doo doo doo doo doo, Maja Stark doo doo doo doo doo doo, Maja Stark…” -TC

Peep the ad reads for some all-time transitions by Cody. Spoiler alert: They’re hilarious.

 (3:20) Thanks to our friends at High Noon and their High Noon tequila seltzer offerings! Made with real blanco tequila, 100 calories, gluten-free with no added sugar. Strawberry lime, grapefruit, passionfruit – visit 

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