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After a bumpy week of picks for the gang, we're back on the mainland and making picks for The American Express, Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, and the Diamond Resorts TOC. Presented by our friends at Draft Kings. 

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Making Picks for The American Express / Abu Dhabi HSBC

With the Big Guy leading the pack after Week 1, we're off to Honolulu for the Sony Open. Presented by the 

Making Picks for the Sony Open

With the slate wiped clean after a lengthy off-season, we embrace the trade winds and make picks for the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua.

Making Picks for the Sentry Tournament of Champions

This will surprise exactly no one, but Big Randy is not exactly a club geek. Let's take a look inside his bag anyways. Presented by Callaway Golf: 

Shaft: True Temper Project X Catalyst Graphite

All the golf adjacent videos from No Laying Up!

What's in the bag (and why): Big Randy

Our last preview video of the year as we head to Sea Island for the RSM Classic (presented by the Draftkings Sportsbook).

Making Picks for the RSM Classic

The Masters is finally here. The boys make their picks, talk Bryson, Rory, Spieth, and a lot more.



Making picks for the 2020 Masters

As you know, Tron has turned into a left-handed 18 handicap this year. Here are the clubs he's using for his experiment.  Presented by 

Shaft: Project X Evenflow Riptide 6.0 Stiff 65 gram

Headcover: Publix Super Markets, Inc. PushCut Custom

Shaft: True Temper Project X Catalyst Graphite 65 gram

Headcover: Callaway X Seamus Golf by Olivia Herrick Masters Edition

Callaway Apex (5-8, PW); Callaway Rogue (9)

Callaway Jaws MD5 (50) S grind; Callaway MD4 (54) W grind; Callaway MD4 (58) X grind

Headcover: Odyssey x Seamus Golf by Olivia Herrick Masters Edition

What's in the bag (and why): Tron Carter (Nort Retrac)

A look through the golf clubs (and mostly gloves) that make up Soly's set up on the course. Presented by Callaway Golf: 

What's in the bag (and why): Soly

After last season's picks standings came to a conclusion last week (mercifully for Soly), we are back after a much needed offseason break. Fresh cakes. All picks are highlighted below:

 HV3 has been kicking the tires for a few months now on a first career PGA Tour title. When he's been around the lead, putting woes have seemingly appeared every time. In a lackluster field, however, Varner stands out as possibly the class. An inaugural Tour title wouldn't shock me and could spur Varner onto bigger and better things in his career.

Joel Dahmen has now pieced together back-to-back stellar campaigns on Tour, cashing hefty checks in some of the premier no-cut events along the way. Despite his success, Dahmen is still yet to find the winner's circle. The Safeway may be his best chance of any in his upcoming schedule to do so.

A little Phil Mickelson hate is something you will note as a common theme throughout this week's picks. To start it off, DJ has picked the struggling Jordan Spieth to beat this week's tournament favorite, Phil Mickelson, in a tournament matchup. Can confirm Spieth is not yet collecting Social Security as some competitors in Branson likely were.

 Cue the Chez love. A week before returning to the U.S. Open, where Chez finished tied for third last year, he will compete across the country in this week's Safeway. Neil has unsurprisingly chosen the gritty grinder once again to both Top 10 and best Emiliano Grillo in a tournament matchup.

A developing pattern continues as Neil also believes Phil will have a short week following his big week in Branson. After getting a pod bump, it would be nice to see Joel start the new PGA Tour season in similar form by cashing the merch czar's Top 10 pick this week. If you haven't been paying attention, you can pretty much pencil Neil's picks in each week without even watching the video. 

 Big Randy will attempt to back up his solid pick campaign by starting with a few winners this week. Nothing too crazy, just steady profits. The "Strapped" approach to wagering, if you will. Do you know how rare a hole in one is? Me neither, everyone just tells me it's rare. So rare that Randy deems it's unimaginable an ace will occur in Napa this week.

Quite shockingly, Randy is aboard the Phil Mickelson hate train this week as well in more ways than one. The big guy has thrown nuggets down on Phil to not only miss the cut but also get clipped by the struggling Jordan Spieth in the process. Kind of disgusting to see Randy ditch his ride or die just to chase a few points.

You knew the nationality plays would be on Randy's radar. Whether it be the straw hat, the putter or his actual game, Randy is a Charl Schwartzel fan this week. The other South Africans may cash a larger check at the end of the week, but they'll be drowning in Charl's drip.

: Surprised? Another Phil Mickelson hater has emerged. Soly is also of the belief that Phil will have a little more time to prep at Winged Foot than he may have been planning for.

Let's dive into the positive side of Soly's picks. He's on board with DJ Pie's Harold Varner love, picking him to win and again hedging with a Top 10 pick. In stark contrast to Randy's Schwartzel pick, Soly thinks Erik Van Rooyen has a chance to finish not only as low South African, but low man period. Finally, off a very under the radar performance last season, Soly is taking notice of Mark Hubbard's form. He will hope that Mark can wiggle the short putter in classic Robert Garrigus fashion this week to finish Top 10.

: TC is hoping the laws of California will work in Matt Every's favor this week. A Top 10/20 finish would certainly "spark" some momentum for Every to break through his slump. 

Sam Burns and Mav McNealy are two young professionals who have showcased their games since graduating from their prestigous college careers at LSU and Stanford, respectively. Now in a field of a mixed bag of pros with varying forms of PGA Tour status, Burns and Mav stand out as prime candidates to break out in a much weaker Safeway field.

Each week seems to feature a new form of a round robin theme. This week's sample is a "Yankee" bet. Rest assured, I am doing my best to learn the ins and outs of every one of these plays. Even if TC goes 1/4, he will lose the full 55 this week.

: Don't have a good feel for this week and choosing a winner, so I'm keeping it conservative. Taking some fliers on a few guys like Malnati, Holmes and Hoge that could really use a hot start among one of the weaker fields they will compete against all season. After following along with Tron's picks last season, I've decided the Canadians may be onto something here. Therefore, I'm chasing a 5 leg Canadian that spans from Napa Valley all the way to Portugal this week.

The standings below are as of completion of last season. I know they are not at all the same as the graphics that appeared in the video...but trust my accounting methods have been thorough and above board. If you like my perspective and want more content related to the crew's picks and year-to-date status, I can be found on twitter and instagram 

NLU Picks and Preview - Safeway

Four of the five NLU crew members have a very real chance to emerge victorious in this 2019-2020 "reach"-around season. Soly's living on a prayer. TC will hope to perform in wake of the controversy stirred up by an accounting error that took place following last week's results. All picks are highlighted below:

 An advocate for the first round leader bets, DJ is used to having a lot of his bets settled within the first couple days of the week. This week, however, he is passing that baton to Neil and delaying his potential gratification until Monday's finish. An eagle at the 72nd for the eventual champion could also crown DJ as the 2020 DK Sportsbook champion.

Billy Ho will start the week at even par, a full 10 shots behind Dustin Johnson. However, he will only be a few shots out of the Top 10, giving him a chance to cash DJ's pick to Top 10 pick at a venue Billy has obviously been successful on in the past. JT is one of the few with a chance to emerge victorious this week realistically. If DJ is to unexpectedly stumble, JT may have the most realistic shot to overtake him. If all goes to hell in a handbasket, Berger to beat the big golfer will be DJ Pie's last chance to hang on to the NLU DK Sportsbook title.

 Have you been paying attention? Harris English is absoulutely flushing it. And in a matchup with Hideki and his stinky putting, no one would be surprised to see Harris top him this week. Similarly, Berger and Morikawa have been flushing it all year. Expect more of the same if either or both is to finish the week in the Top 5 and cash a 7-figure bonus check.

The beefy boy Bryson has had a slow start to the playoffs, falling down the standings and also on the starting leaderboard this week. However, his slip has allowed Randy to scoop him up to Top 3 at what may be inflated odds at 5.5:1. As mentioned in the video, he will now likely need to root against his JT pick knowing that DJ has also picked Thomas for more units. 

 Neil's week will be wrapped up quickly. Starting 1st and 3rd on the leaderboard respectively, Neil has chosen Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas to lead after Friday's opening round. Neither would be a particularly surprising leader after the opening 18, but Jon Rahm could be primed to jump up and completely spoil Neil's week before Saturday even rolls around.

Should DJ hold his lead through round 1, Neil's wager likely isn't enough to pass DJ Pie and Randy unless they have entirely fruitless weeks. Interesting strategy...

: Again zigging while others zag, TC has his eyes on Springfield, IL and a former NCAA champion in Braden Thornberry to turn in an impressive week. Tron is backing Braden to win and hedging with Top 10 while the others have their eyes solely on the Tour's supposed "Super Bowl" in Atlanta.

Sungjae has struggled to find the form since returning from the COVID break. TC is hoping he turns the corner this week and moves up from his starting T6 position into the Top 5. JT may have a hard time topping DJ given his three stroke deficit. However, if he's able to close that gap at all, it may be enough to earn him the title of low gross for the week, matching Tron's prediction above. A large "patent" hit could catapult TC from 4th to 1st in the standings, though I'm sure others will beware of his accounting methods if that is the case.

: Look, he's built himself a grave. He's climbed in it. But don't bury him yet. Soly is taking three big, albeit unlikely swings at an incredible turnaround this week. Xander particularly loves East Lake, entering this week having turned in rounds of par or better in 8 straight rounds at ELGC. Unfortunately, spotting DJ 7 shots may be too much of a gap to overcome this week.

Bryson and Finau also are forced into the unfortunate task of chasing down golf's hottest player starting the week at a deficit. Bryson is certainly capable of taking it deep at any time with the combination of his driver and much improved putting. I just don't see his profile meshing well at East Lake where the bermuda rough is so penal. Finau has been Soly's ride or die, but if he can't win a tournament where everyone starts with the same score, I can't imagine him overcoming a deficit to break his recent trend.

: Rors may be "freed up" now that his wife and newborn daughter Poppy are both healthy and happy at home. I believe he'll go out and play some impressive golf this week even though he's likely too far back to win. I believe the same will be true for Xander, who should be "freed up" at a comfortable venue for him even despite decidedly not becoming a father this week. Hideki and Finau showed dramatic improvement on the greens last week that I'm hoping will travel with them from Chicago to Atlanta. DJ has had his share of struggles around East Lake, which is why I'll take my chances on Rahm to make it back to back wins to capture his first FedEx Cup this week

The standings below are as of completion of play last week. I know they are not at all the same as the graphics that appeared in the video...but trust my accounting methods have been thorough and above board. If you like my perspective and want more content related to the crew's picks and year-to-date status, I can be found on twitter and instagram 

NLU Picks and Preview - Tour Championship

O Canada! By correctly predicting a 5-way Canadian bet at the Northern Trust, Tron is back in the mix and looking to catch a struggling group of DJ, Neil and Randy at the BMW this week. All picks are highlighted below:

 As the lead has slimmed and the gap between first and fifth (sorry, Soly) has narrowed significantly, DJ is no longer shooting from the hip. Instead, his research indicates that Collin Morikawa might back up his second career MC with another win. Collin's T13 at the collegiate Illini Invitational will certainly give him the sturdiest of legs to stand on this week.

I must thank the Pieman for keeping it easy on me by bundling his matchups into a parlay rather than a TC Canadian/Heinz cluster of complication. It'll be all or nothing for DJ as he is backing a group of classy ball-strikers that can struggle with the putter on occasion. The prevailing thought is that unfamiliar greens, which will be the case for most at Olympia Fields this week, tend to neutralize poor putters. If so, the ball-striking prowess of Hideki, Morikawa, McRib, Billy Ho and G-dub should allow them to rise up the board in comparison to the stronger bosses of the moss.

 The X-Man has been kicking the tires on contending again since his close call at Colonial. Three of his four wins on Tour have come in no cut events. Has no weaknesses and should translate well to a venue that’s new to almost everyone. The McRib has uncharacteristically struggled for a period of a couple months now, without even a backdoor Top 10 to boast about. Despite recent performance, Rors has the ability to flip the switch at a moment's notice, so investing in him at inflated odds compared to his norm is hard to knock. The same could be said for Patrick Cantlay, just to a lesser degree. Cantlay will need a much better performance than he's turned in of late if he intends to play in Atlanta next week (#37 in FEC standings). 

Joel "good morning" Dahmen got into a twitter debate with the crew earlier this week about how many rounds it would take him to reach Dustin's total of -30 playing TPC Boston. Joel humbly answered 100...but given his form this year we think it would take him decidedly less than a triple digit total. Neil expects Joel to bounce back from his disappointing MC in Boston and make a run at qualifying for the Tour Championship via a top 5 finish this week. Notably absent from Neil's picks is Chez, who failed to qualify for this week's BMW.

 Just like Jason Kokrak, Randy went all in 2020 last week by making one selection, backing Phil simply to top the alleged manipulator Alex Noren. Turns out the big guy did not have pocket aces...or kings...or queens.

Randy's reset this week led he and Neil to some similar conclusions. As Randy is hoping for a bounce back week, so too are Rory, Cantlay and Fitzy, all of whom make Randy's selections in some form or fashion. You've gotta appreciate the "if you fall, get back up" spirit the big guy is showcasing in those selections.

Finally, Randy expects the world's eldest 24 year-old in Scottie Scheffler to show some signs of fatigue this week, allowing Hideki to race past him up the leaderboard. Despite failing to reach the winner's circle in his rookie campaign to date, Scottie has all but clinched his spot in Atlanta next week via consistently strong form throughout the year. 

: Weeks of disappointing results were all washed away with a long-awaited Canadian cash last week. If you thought Tron would ditch the strategy after one week of going 5/5, then you don't know the TC way. Tough scene alert: the Canadian includes a fade of Tron's boy Scottie this week.

With some spending $ in his pocket this week, TC is donating 5 nuggets to the cause by picking the cursed Tony Finau to actually win this week. Not to mention the 5 nugget donation on a parlay of Woodland, Finau, Day and Adam Scott to all win their DK Sportsbook betting groups. The payout of +36350 is juicy...but I am confirming it'll never happen.

Max had a disappointing bogey on his 36th hole last week to miss the cut on the number, forcing him to sweat out his spot in the FEC standings all weekend. Now in the field, TC expects Max to play free from any expectations which could allow him to contend this week.

Wednesday's 7-club tune-up for Bryson could give him some competitive mojo before the tournament begins. A win on the venue where DeChambeau of course won his U.S. Am title would be less than shocking.

: Webb and Jon Rahm contributed to a rare positive week for Soly at the Northern Trust. Still very much in the basement, Soly is turning towards a young star in Viktor Hovland to help him climb out. Hovland has now likely lost his strangehold on the Arnold Palmer award as ROY on Tour, yet still has a chance to reclaim the title from Scheffler if he can have a couple impressive weeks to finish out his rookie campaign.

A couple "hot tips" led Soly to take Hideki and Nick Taylor this week despite their struggles of late. Hot tips always work out well, so these picks are surefire. Like TC, Bryson makes Soly's list of selections this week. A MC last week is not enough to deter the C-Suite from backing the biggest of golfers and debatably the new needle.

: My Kiz pick last week paid dividends, so why not go back to the well? He's a guy that is motivated by the sums of money at stake throughout the playoffs and thrives under the stakes. Surprised to see no love for Rahm this week from the crew, so I'll happily take him even though his odds are short. Agree with Neil's thought than Xander has been knocking on the door of late and is poised for a breakthrough. Also taking the coat-rack as it's put-up or shut-up time for his all-in claim. Will Jason hold 'em, or fold 'em like a cheap suit? 

NLU Picks and Preview - BMW

It was another lackluster week for the crew in most cases, but a solid return for Big Randy now brings him ever closer to eclipsing DJ and strapped brother Neil in the standings. Picks for the playoff opener are highlighted below:

 Had there not been an impossible run by Jim Herman over the weekend, DJ's loyal former troop of the Bob Parsons army would have given back DJ the lead he once had after Webb Simpson win at RBC Heritage. Still, Billy Horschel was able to cash the Top 10 bet to keep DJ from having a total loss at Wyndham.

The rib still hasn't shown signs of life at major championships...or really since the Tour resumed at Colonial. But, as DJ so rightly pointed out, he is Mr. PGA Tour. Also the only 2x winner of the FedEx cup title, as he will be defending that second title. WIth a win this week, he would be well on his way to a third. Just not sure where DJ sees the good form coming from.

DJ's last two picks have been familiar plays by the crew and both will need big weeks to move on to Chicago and the BMW. Harold Varner played well last week at Wyndham, finishing T7 after leading thru the first 18 holes. Still in search of his first Tour win. So too is Sam Burns, happy to be in the playoffs again after some solid results post-COVID break. The depth of this week's field leads to some solid potential payouts for guys like Harold and Sam who aren't necessarily the most consistent players in the field.

 The Waka Flocka Flame puns may have given Sepp some bad vibes last week, as both he and Neil's staple Chez Reavie pick didn't even live long enough to keep Neil's interest over the weekend. A better would actually have been a little MC parlay.

This week Icarito's self-proclaimed strategy is to pick "short guys that just hit it good." Again, field depth is making those Top 10's look pretty juicy to Neil, actually making up four of his five picks. Xander, honest Abe, Lawddddd Tyrrell and Mrs. Longsocks make up Icarito's lineup of 5'8" flushers he expects to make the front page this week. The Chez top 20 isn't even worth wasting breath on at this point.

 Thankfully still (somewhat) vertical, Randy was able to spill his only pick of the week next to his associate DJ Pie. Randy's consitently conservative picks has allowed him to continually make a slow indent into the lead that DJ and Neil had built. The strategy is certainly no different this week.

A full 100 piece nugget count relies on the only Champions Tour eligible player in the field this week: Phil Mickelson. He will need to beat possibly the most famous OWGR manipulator of our time in Alex Noren to give Randy a positive return this week. Alex has played well of late, though he can't boast the course history Phil can at TPC Boston. Of course, one of Phil's most famous flop shots of his career came from the right side below the 18th green here. Oh, you thought I meant Phil always plays well here? Psh. As Soly and the datagolf guys dicussed on this week's pod, Phil is only truly above average at that place down in Georgia. A poor performance from Phil this week will leave Randy feeling about as well as he did the morning after the recording of this week's video.

: The curmudgeon has struck again, going against the grain by picking a Canadian 5-way instead of the Heinz 57 that garenered so much attention in previous weeks. Five separate matchups will be included in the Canadian play, which is honestly too cumbersome to break down given most would rather just see how the results pan out.

A couple young (maybe not super young) hitters make up a couple TC Top 10 locks of this week, with Max Homa at 20:1 to do so and Marc Leishman at 11:1. Leish has struggled uncharacteristically recently, likely baking in a lot of value in backing him on a course that typically plays closer to the firm & fast end of the spectrum. Leish is ever-capable of breaking his slump in an instant and jumping right into the thick of a chase for a title. Similarly, Tommy Fleetwood has been unable to shake off the rust stemming from the long break. You'd have to figure it is only a matter of time before something clicks for the distinguished Englishman as well. The Keith Mitchell play very well could be a result of a classic little game of eenie-meenie-miney-moe. Who knows where that came from...but I guess we are coming off a week where the 600-1 Jim Herman emerged victorious. 

: Soly's extensive research has not resulted in any level of success. What's even more irritating is that the undeniably "free-wheeling" approaches of the Strapped Boys have netted exponentially greater returns. The C-Suite may need to look into further budget cuts on the upcoming seasons as the Strapped Boys may not be so strapped any longer.

In order of their odds, Webber, yung Hov and Hungjae start Soly's search for improvement as the playoffs begin this week. Each of the three are known for their iron-play and Strokes Gained: Approach prowess. With Paul Casey and Phil and Chez as the only real threats, Soly is riding with Jon Rahm to finish as low Arizona St. Sun Devil this week, which is a play I love especially given it is still somehow + odds.

Finau is for sure not going to close it out this week, but respect to Soly for sticking to his guns. He is clearly displaying a desire to be there if the curse of Puerrrrrrto RRRRRRico shall ever be broken. The Boston (or really Norton/Providence/not Boston at all as TC pointed out in this week's TrapDraw) forecast is for more Finau disappointment this week.

: Kiz has been absolutely rolling his rock of late and loves them dolla signs. He will come prepared this week on a venue where driving distance is not at a premium, again. P-Reed has won the Northern Trust in two of the last four years and I think he will be right there again this week. Webb almost won with about his B- game last week. Scary. At 30:1, I love his chances  if he brings the A game with him this week. Jason Kokrak will need a Top 20/25 finish or so if he would like to move on to Chicago next week. If his injury isn't an issue, I think he's poised to do so after a solid Top 15 at Sedgefield last week. Back to the parlay board this week as well, as last week's parlay hit at +800, keeping my head above water. 

NLU Picks and Preview - Northern Trust

While Neil and DJ have been jockeying back and forth in the standings like Rahm and JT in the OWGR in recent weeks, Randy has pieced together some solid weeks to sneak up on their heels. Can the big guy catch them this week? Or will his performance resemble one of his many  money round failures? Picks and standings for the Wyndham are highlighted below:

 By virtue of backing Xander as low Callaway staffer, DJ was able to squeeze by Neil just one week after Neil passed DJ's total via the WGC-Memphis results. That beautiful bloke Tommy Fleetwood cost DJ last week in his search of a mega parlay, but DJ has a short memory. He's chosen tummyfleets again this week, expecting he's had sufficient time to knock all the COVID rust off by now.

DJ made mention that he would be enlisting a certain PXG troop this week in Billy Horschel. Sadly, Billy has actually been discharged from his service and is operating free from the bind of any (equipment) service obligations. Nonetheless, DJ believes the noted iron-play specialist will thrive on a second-shot venue in Sedgefield CC. Maybe Neil can pay Billy Ho a visit to get some additional "What's in the Bag?" footage.

Patrick Rodgers has become a bit of a forgotten man on a week-to-week basis despite his expected success following a wonderful career at Stanford. DJ's expectations are that Rodgers has "No Tree Putts" on his way to a solid Top 10 this week. His last pick is that the winning margin will be exactly three strokes on Sunday. Is there any logic at all in picking something like that? Well who could say...actually I could say: No.

 A fruitless week made Neil's reign at #1 shorter than a Greg Popovich interview. In his defense, Neil only claims to be good at 

 things: slingin' merch and doing some "googley" research. S/O Sir Nick.

Neil's back to his roots this week and keeping it simple as can be. Chez battled his way to earn himself a weekend tee time by shooting a back nine 32 on Friday evening. Unfortunately he was unable to make his way up the leaderboard over the weekend on a course that didn't necessarily favor his style of play. Now back on a shorter track that is much more manageable for Reavie, Neil's placing 50 of his nugs on him to contend and finish in the Top 10.

Here are a few horrible puns for Icarito's second and final pick: Sepp "Straka Flocka Flame":

When rolling it well, Sepp showcases his nerve, making solid strokes with "No Hands"

When asked where his first Tour win may come, Straka pointed to the Valspar specifically because of his history of going "Hard in da Paint"

Even if Sepp plays well this week, the lack of fans will keep him from getting the "Round of Applause" he'd deserve.

After Straka was told he had received a ringing endorsement from Neil, who expects him to crack the Top 10 in Greensboro this week, he replied, "O, Let's do it"

 Phil and Morikawa headlined a successful two-leg parlay last week that brings Randy ever closer in the standings. Randy's more conservative approach has allowed him to net positive points in three of his last four weeks. We like that.

Randy is employing DJ's strategy of taking one wild ass guess this week, namely that there will be an ace in round 3. My guess is that Randy's eyes lit up when he saw the jump in the odds from Friday to Saturday and probably forgot that there will be less than half the field playing that day. He's also sticking to his guns with the winner making anything other than par at the 72nd, which I happen to love at Sedgefield's typically difficult finishing hole. He also believes Brooks may be a little checked out following a letdown last week. Between the cross-country flight, knee and back question marks and mental fatigue, there's some value in picking Brooks to miss the cut.

Randy's biggest bets of the week also follow his heart just as Neil's did. Harris has been absolutely flushing it this year, especially as of late. No one is more aware of that than the big guy. HV3 is returning to familiar territory in NC this week. He seems a good bet @ +335 to Top 20 after showing some good signs in NOCAL last week. 

: With limited success in the first two attempts, TC has benched the Heinz approach for the Wyndham. Truthfully, it was likely only benched because the matchup board is a little less extensive this week. After winning a 10 point "budget bet" against Soly by virute of Scottie Scheffler outpacing Lanto over the course of last weekend's pay, TC has a 110 point budget to spend. As you'll see below, Soly has either forgotten or chosen to ignore the consequences of his loss. Tron turned those 10 points into a chance to return 160 if Patty BD earns his second career win at Sedgefield. 

TC's approach has been to make numerous bets and dip his toes into many different waters. Look where it's gotten him. A change of pace is a welcome change this week, as Tron has chosen to put all of his eggs in one basket. There just happens to be numerous holes in that particular basket. Tron is backing Jordan Spieth to Top 10 this week with a full 100 point endorsement. Spieth may have the largest amount of space between his floor and ceiling of anyone on Tour. Consequently, I won't hazard a guess as to how the struggling phenom will perform this week. 

: On a second shot golf course, Soly has turned to three terrific iron players to help him potentially escape his spot at the bottom of the standings. Despite losing 10 points from his budget (discussed above), Soly has fully sent a 100 point lineup. I'll let the guys police themselves on that matter.

Webb Simpson is a staple at Sedgefield and has cashed Top 25's in 7 of 11 starts on the Donald Ross design. Now playing arguably the best golf of his life, it seems impossible he would fall short of a Top 20 this week as the Vegas favorite. Brendon Todd has proven his game travels throughout this year. I wouldn't be surprised if he fills it up again this week where distance will not be as imperative as last week.

Kyle Stanley has struggled mightily on the greens throughout the year, placing him outside the Top 125 required to qualify for next week's postseason opener. He's been in this position before and stood tall to the pressure of what is normally a more do or die moment. As he still ranks near the top of a majority of the important ball-striking categories, Soly is taking a chance that the putter may get just warm enough to pay off some of the chances he consistently gives himself.

: Sitting at 130 in the FEC standings, Stanley likely needs a finish of 36th or better to earn enough points to move up the 5 spots needed to get into the playoffs. I think he'll rise to the occasion. Paul Casey is good. He's playing well. But I never believe in him enough to feel comfortable picking him to win. He just doesn't have "it." Brice Garnett held the 54 hole lead here last year and can fill it up when on the positive end of his typically streaky play. Love his odds on the unusual "Top 5 American" play in a wide open field. Speaking of streaky players, give me a little "Si Woo shakin' that ass" all the way to a Group "C" triumph this week paired with Webb > Reed. Webb's just better. Fabian Gomez has won twice on Tour, which was news to me as I researched this week. At 123 in the FEC, I'll look for him to have a good week to maintain his position.

NLU Picks and Preview - Wyndham

A look through the golf clubs (and many other things) that make up DJ's daily set up on the golf course.  Presented by 

What's in the Bag (and why): D.J.

I'm excited to pass along the crew's picks for what will hopefully be the most difficult test of the year in professional golf. The potential for 

 swings in the standings is here, and is all highlighted below:

 If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Riding with Chez paid off for Neil last year and has already granted Neil an early lead in the standings (if you exclude my expertise). While the oddsmakers continue to disrespect the veteran grinder, Neil will continue to bank his nugs. A top 20 from Reavie this week would put a smile on St. Rappeo's face up above.

Top 10 plays ruled Neil's remaining plays. Opting for accuracy over distance, Neil has chosen Matt Fitzpatrick, Jaco Niemann and Brendon Todd to overcome the length disadvantage they may have at Winged Foot and finish in the Top 10. The firmer the course gets, the more I like the chances for those three.

Tommy lad has gone under the radar for the most part since the Tour's restart. While most were snoozing on the professional golf scene last week in favor of NFL week 1, Tommy turned in a Sunday 64 in Portugal to give eventual champion George Coetzee a scare. After a bit of a flight across the pond, Neil will hope the form Fleetwood flashed last Sunday will translate to the big apple.

 As simple formula will remain this week for Randy. Typically though, Randy doesn't take the big swings as he is this week with his decision to choose Patrick Cantlay to win. Cantlay hasn't had his best stuff of late, but profiles well to capture his first major at a difficult U.S. Open venue.

Phil had a mediocre week at Safeway, but Randy is hoping for a quick bounceback in Westchester, where Phil is likely feeling some mixed emotions this week. To finish as the low lefty, he will need to best Brian Harman, Bubba and Big Bob Macintyre. J-Day's form was much improved around the time of the "Jack Nicklaus swing", falling off lately during the oh-so-prestigous FEC playoffs. Hopefully the hellish Winged Foot back won't cause the 'ole backside too much harm.

 After cashing a Canadian last week myself, I love to see TC chasing the dream yet again. The theme of the picks? No theme, really. In fact, he admitted to hating a couple of his picks, notably Harris English over Hatton. He has been flushing it, however.

Feels silly not to endorse DJ's chances, even if its odds are pretty short. To boil Soly's blood, I'm going to point of DJ is the "odds on" favorite. A couple of Aussies round out Tron's picks, as he's taking a flier on J-Day as Randy did as well as Adam Scott.

Worth noting that in the very same video where TC clowned Randy for not using all 100 of his points in a week last season, TC has only alotted 90 of his points to this week's picks. The you hate to see it of the week before the week has even begun.

: Much like Jason Kokrak, DJ is going all-in with pocket everything this week, putting almost all his eggs in the JT basket. A JT win could be a killshot to the rest of the crew as it could net up to about 1,900 potential points for DJ if all falls into place. If not, he could cement his spot at the bottom of the standings in the earlygoing.

The cocaine train will have at least one passenger this week, as DJ is throwing a trivial 10 nuggets on Spieth to Top 20. His thinking is that if the course plays as difficult is advertised, Jordan may be able to grind it around as well as anyone. My thinking is the exact opposite. A wild Spieth does not sound like a healthy mix for a brutal test at Winged Foot.

: Soly's approach in the new season seems to be much different than last season. Unfortunately, last week yielded similarly disappointing results. Smaller plays and some round 1 bets are the bones of Soly's off-speed approach for this week's U.S. Open.

Rahm and DJ are the favorites and also the plays for Soly. Anticipating Olympia Fields was a good indicator for what Winged Foot will play like, Soly is expecting DJ and Rahm to have similar results. Also profiling as a grinder who won't be intimidated by U.S. Open conditions is dbstraitvibin', coming off an extremely sound rebound season. One might say Berger may have been a prime candidate for Comeback Player of the Year...

: X-man seems to be ready to break through and finally grasp his first major this week. At least that's what Poppa Schauffele and I think. Speaking of Pops', watch out for the baby bump from Rory this week. And I don't mean fat Rors is coming back. Fitzy always seems to play well on these firm, fast and difficult tests as he did at Bay Hill, Memorial, Olympia and even Brookline at the U.S Am. I expect more of the same from him here. If all else fails, I expect Ben An and Chez to be sleepers this week and cash that little parlay.

The standings below are as of completion of play last week. If you like my perspective and want more content related to the crew's picks and year-to-date status, I can be found on twitter and instagram 

2020 US Open @ Winged Foot Picks & Preview 

Glory's first shot! This week's PGA brings a long awaited (now 54 weeks) return of 

 predictions for what may happen in California this week. As a bonus, each of us has been generously given an opportunity to win a free 50 points by picking this week's top-finishing Callaway staffer, regardless of odds. The potential for 

 swings in the standings is highlighted below:

 A new leader! Sticking with Chez has proven fruitful as Neil has been able to feed the haters a healthy helping of humble pie in recent weeks. DJ has now been dethroned and Icarito will keep a similar approach this week in trying to maintain his lead.

Chez again headlines Neil's picks this week. If TPC Harding Park skews toward the longer hitters, rule Chez out, right? Not so fast. Chez finished in the Top 15 at both Bellerive and Bethpage…two courses that certainly didn’t favor his profile. Also finished T3 at Pebble in last year’s U.S. Open, so he’s not afraid of or new to major championship pressure. He's also backing Cali natives Max Homa and Xander Schauffele to contend on familiar land.

The Rib has struggled to find the form that made him a weekly contender in 2019 & 2020 prior to the COVID halt. He even tried multiple different putters in Memphis last week. Moreover, his proximity statistic has fallen off recently which has given him less realistic looks at birdie. Still, at 15:1, Neil thinks his potential is too great to pass on at those unusually high odds. If he does win, he may just do so in style according to Neil. His final pick won't finalize until late Sunday evening at the earliest, as he will be waiting to see if the eventual champion can manage to birdie the difficult 72nd. Rory indeed was the last to birdie the last en route to a PGA victory when he did so in 2012 at Kiawah.

 Whether he would admit it or not, who knows, but DJ probably got a little comfy given the lead he had built himself. He couldn't have imagined Neil would be the one to catch him. DJ is part of what you will notice is a bit of a trend in picking Xander this week, both to Top 10 and finish as low Callaway ambassador. Also following Neil's example by believing in Max Homa this week in the hope that he can translate his recent form to a major for the first time.

Shortly following the Rocket Mortgage PMI Classic, DJ emphatically claimed Bryson would lap the field at the PGA considering how well the venue would fit his length. Despite a couple lackluster weeks from Beefy Bryson, DJ is sticking to his guns by picking him to win. The climate in California likely isn't favorable for fire ant colonies to emerge, so consider that one less element Bryson will have to allow for this week. The exact finish bets are back this week and just as unlikely as ever! Still, the payout is too enticing for DJ to pass on, as he will be hoping for a DeChambeau/JT 1,2 punch.

 Back in the killhouse, Randy was able to successfully count to 5 bets and stop this week. Seeing the form Lefty had last week, Randy has absolutely loaded up his chamber with Phil bullets this week. Randy is predicting the "former" California resident Mickelson will beat Joaquin Niemann en route to beating all Callaway staffers. However, there might be a seed of doubt in Randy's mind as he was only comfortable enough to endorse Phil through the first 18 holes.

Evidently the consistency of Matt Fitzpatrick is in for a rude interruption this week. Fitzy is coming in off a solo third at the Memorial and a T6 last week in Memphis and confidence is riding high. Dangerously high, Randy believes, as he's picking the young Brit to MC at +225.

Randy would be very happy to join his strapped brother Neil to root for the winner to birdie the 72nd, though a bogey or worse would suffice his anything but par bet as well. You may think this seems like a smart play at +130, but the winner has parred the last every year since Jason Dufner bogeyed the 18th at Oak Hill in 2013 to seal his victory. One of those victors who parred the last was Jason Day at Whistling in 2015, who coincidentally rounds out the big guy's picks this week. Surprisingly, despite a global pandemic, constant back stiffness and ditching his long-time swing coach (and former caddie) Colin Swatton, J-Day has found something in his game the past month or so. Interesting to see the former world #1 and PGA Champion all the way down at 45:1 this week.

: The controversy continues. The pushback the crew and the fans gave TC for his Heinz 57 play last week didn't bother him in the slightest...and he's back at it again with the white Vans this week. Although none of the crew was able to follow Tron's results last week, I was able to calculate his nugget total and can confirm everything is above board here.

Seemingly shoving to Randy's picks to surely not win the Wanamaker this week, TC is sprinkling the Rib, former world number one Jon Rahm (good run), Chokey Finau and Adam Scott who is still alive. All four plays would potentially serve to keep Tron afloat should his Heinz prove as fruitless as last week.

The Heinz 57 has made everyone irritable and confused so I'll try to break it down as quickly and simply as possible. Each play will be paired with another in a round robin format and judged as a two-way parlay (1&2, 1&3, 1&4, etc.) (15 plays at 1.4 units risked per play=21 units risked.) Next, each play will be paired with two others in a round robin format and judged as a three-way parlay (1,2&3, 1,2&4, 1,2&5, etc.) (20 plays at 1.4 units risked per play=28 units risked.) Third, there will be four-way parlays matched in the same round robin format (15 plays at 1.4 units risked per play=21 units risked.) Then, there will be five-way parlays matched in the six different combinations available (6 plays at 1.4 units risked per play=8.4 units risked.) Finally comes the 6-way mega parlay, which should be familiar to everyone (1 play at 1.4 units risked=1.4 units risked.) The sum total? 79.8 units! So, unless TC hits two of his six Heinz plays at minimum, it is impossible for him to win any portion of the Heinz bet back. Even going three of six last week led to a loss of 58 of his 79.8 units. As confusing as it may seem, I hope this helps. If not, just ignore our resident curmudgeon. 

: Although he's still in the cellar of the standings, Soly is coming off two straight (marginally) positive weeks. You might liken Soly's consistent "big swings" at a large point shift to the swings his largest play will be taking this week. Many forget that the reason Bryson claimed to chase distance was to improve upon the poor results he's had in major championships to this point in his career. Even if he is a sociopath, Bry-guy will have a chance to prove his efforts weren't in vain by winning this week, which would bring Soly back from the depths and into the positive figs. Soly is also wasting, I mean placing, ten of his points on an exact finish box containing the combo of the Mark McGwire version of Bill Nye, and the world's hottest caddie Bones Mackay.

Continuing the love for maybe the most well-rounded player on Tour, Soly is trusting another significant portion of his nuggets toward the hopes of Xander Schauffele this week. X-man, as everyone calls him, has Top 20's in every start but one beginning with his shaky finish at Colonial. He's just a grinder who won't be bothered by difficult conditions or setup this week.

While Brooks will be looking for a couple swing keys from Claude Harmon to get him through the week, Soly's final pick just wants to talk about life, man. The soon-to-be renowned author Bubba Watson has been hit or miss lately and really his entire career. However, a self-proclaimed improved mental game and outlook on the game of golf as it relates to life may give him some new life this week in his chase for his third career major. Remember when he said he was gonna retire if he won 10 times on Tour? What a wildcard. Almost as blasphemous as Daniel Summerhays' retirement proclamation. 

: Really love seeing I'm the only guy on Brooks. He found enough last week to go on. He's just mentally tougher than 99% of the field (s/o the Cat) and physically able to do more than most. If Brooks falters unexpectedly, I expect his buddy DJ to be right there in the mix at a course that may resemble a long U.S. Open venue he has thrived on in the past. I also agree with the crew's near consensus that Xander will make a strong run at his first major win in his native California. Shane Lowry is still often forgotten despite his win last summer at The Open. An excellent pair of hands allows him to excel in the wind and around the greens, so why shouldn't he stand out this week? Abe Ancer and Chez Reavie may not profile well at a course that emphasizes the need for distance. I just can't pass on either given their current form. They both seem primed to take advantage of the best golf of their respective careers.

The standings below are as of completion of play last week. I know they are not at all the same as the graphics that appeared in the video...but trust that DJ (or whoever is editing the gambling videos, don't want to throw Dennis under the bus) has made numerous accounting errors in his standings. For example, Randy was credited a win last week for his Rickie over J-Day pick even though Day did in fact top Fowler in Memphis. Enjoy the PGA! Glory's first shot!! If you like my perspective and want more content related to the crew's picks and year-to-date status, I can be found on twitter and instagram 

NLU picks for the 2020 PGA Championship

There's an intense process behind becoming one of Callaway's official Certified Master Fitters. A few months ago, we sent Tron through the ringer to see if he could do it. 

Tron becomes a Callaway Certified Master Fitter

Controversy accompanies the guys' picks for this week's events in Reno and Memphis:

 Doubling as a gambling aficianado and psychiatrist, DJ was able to coax Max Homa back on track last week as he contended late into Sunday afternoon. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Deej is ridin' with Max for a top 20 again this week.

The rib is the heavy hitter in DJ's lineup, as he will need to find the form he had up until COVID halted the Tour. Minimally, he will need to find enough form to hold off Patrick Cantlay should DJ's parlay prevail. The other three legs of the parlay feature some of the Tour's premier iron players in Webber, Billy Ho and Morikawa, who should all stand out on this "Pete Dye" designed second-shot golf course. Who will win on Tour next: Spieth or Finau? If DJ is right, it could be the recently-turned 27-year-old, who will play with Rory on Thursday and Friday.

After a somewhat disappointing week in Minnesota, DJ is still feeling the Burn(s) out in Cali this week. Let's please keep a fire truck on site for the sake of that great state given what they've already endured. 

 Straka flocka flame deserves a "round of applause" from Icarito for finshing strong and bringing home the nugs last week. Claiming its time to get more 

now that he's well into positive figures, Neil is riding hard with JT this week...who will have the familiar face of Bones Mackay on the bag while Jimmie Johnson is on the mend. With a JT, Xander 1, 2 combo this week, Neil's lead may end up being 

Ride or die Chez is back in action this week. To the surprise of absolutely no one, Neil is aware and backing him again, this time to Top 20. His results at Muirfield could translate nicely to Southwind, a course that again emphasizes ball-striking. Looooord Tyrrell, Bryson, and Rahmbo (as everyone knows him by) could all be running hot in their own unique and beautiful ways if Icarito's make-hay-parlay is successful.

 Here's where the aforementioned controversy begins. Randy, noted for his conservative approach, has in fact alotted less than the required 100 points to his picks this week. Moreover, he has made six picks in a formula restricting us to making only 5/week (parlays may use more than one leg to count as one wager.) The committee is aware of the situation and discussing potential sanctions/ramifications. The committee is not prepared to comment on whether they will speak to the competitor (Randy) while play is still occurring (a la Dustin Johnson @ Oakmont) or wait until play has completed (a la Jon Rahm @ Memorial.)

Nonetheless, Randy's picks must be evaluated at the moment as if they will all count. Ian Poulter must beat the likes of Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick, Danny Willett, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and of course Mike Wallace to finish as low chap hailing from the land of the Sirs. Corey Conners has promised Randy a "sorry", or maybe even an "ope" if he's unable to beat all other Canadians. Sungjae as low Asian rounds out Randy's nationality trend this week.

The entire spring break crew is included in the big guy's matchup picks for this week (again, Randy made a scummy six-pack of bets). His love for Rickie is again evident. 

: The controversy continues. Tron has long complained about the five pick restriction, and believes he may have found his way around in this week by placing round robins in his lineup. Sprinkling the 'Cuda with Mav McNealy & Kris Ventura is very on brand for TC and will surely keep him plugged in. Ryan Ruffels, a personal hearthrob of TC, will need to put four rounds together to pull out a dub in Omaha.

Despite some recent shaky play, Tron becomes the third to back Sungjae this week in Memphis...even going so far as to say he will beat ROY candidate Scottie Scheffler. In all honesty, the rest of his picks may or may not be worth going over...because only Tron will know how successful of a week he had. The rest of us are either too lazy or too uninformed to make the effort to track his successes this week. His results will have as much certainty as the Seahawks/Packers replacement refs game.  

: Soly followed CDC guidelines while picking a "boog" this week. DBalwaysvibin obviously has a great history at Southwind, but missed the cut in '18 and wasn't eligible to compete in last year's event given its recent WGC status. He will look to draw on the better memories rather than the recent ones

Swinging big, Soly is picking three other potential winners in Morikawa, honest Abe and Webber. All are second-shot-specialists who may be able to hide their streaky putting on some of the smallest greens on Tour. Being in the position he is in, it seems Soly is willing to risk digging a greater hole for a chance to move closer toward the positive figures.

: No love for the world number 1 so far, so I'm happy to oblige. No holes in his game...nor the game of Justin Thomas, another of my favorites this week. Bones should give him some extra juice. Matt Fitzpatrick strikes it straight and putts it like its his fate, good enough to garner my meaningless endorsement this week. Billy and P Reed aren't getting much respect in this week's top heavy field, but I like how their game's profile on Southwind. Finally, my bias is coming out in my backing of Spieth. It seems like it's close, right? Is it really just me?

The standings below are as of completion of last week's MMM. If you like my perspective and want more content related to the crew's picks and year-to-date status, I can be found on twitter and instagram 

. If you're making picks and kicking our butts...let us know!

There were plenty of winners last week and now three of the five of us are in the black for the season. DraftKings Sportsbook: 