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Tournament Previews

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. 

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 

On-site coverage of professional golf events, players and personalities. 

Mixed Bag: Pro Golf

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 

All the golf adjacent videos from No Laying Up!

Mixed Bag: Golf Adjacent

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: 

2020 Tournament Previews

Making picks for the 2020 WGC - FedEx St. Jude Invitational

Maybe Neil's break really wasn't a self-sanction...just a vacation! A big week tailing J-Day and of course Chez at Memorial brings Neil back into positive figures for the year, joining only DJ. Here's our picks for this week's Triple M:

 DJ's 100 point loss last week can be chalked up to being a little busy and a little too comfy on his perch in the standings. Back in the killhouse this week, DJ spent countless hours in the lab concocting a winning formula for a little Minny golf this week. Sam Burns played himself into contention two weeks ago at Workday, but plunged down the board after opening with a triple on Sunday. Like Ryan Palmer last week, DJ predicts Burns will quickly be able to rebound from a disappointing performance.

Max Homa has been able to secure his status on Tour in the past couple years after bouncing back and forth between the PGA and KFT in the early portion of his career. The COVID break didn't come at a great time for Max as he was simmering in the first couple months of 2020, and he's had difficulty finding the same form after the Tour resumed. In all likelihood, his duties as a podcaster have taken away from his ability to practice and stay sharp. The only shot of him finishing Top 20 this week may be the fact that the likes of Ricky Barnes, Rich Beem and Tim Herron are in the field.

Unable to lay off the juicyness of the first round leader bet, DJ predicts Finau will go low on Thursday again, just a week after he did so at Muirfield. I will say, it does seem more likely than Finau actually closing the door on a Sunday. 

 Entrusting his nugs in the very questionable health of Jason Day, Neil responded from his hiatus just as strongly as #dbstraitvibin in Fort Worth. Day's short-game saves on the last two holes om Sunday allowed him to maintain his T4 place on the leaderboard, cashing Icarito's first dub of the year. Chez was able to hold on to Top 40 despite a poor Sunday to reward Neil for continuing to back him week-in and week-out.

Chez's absence from this week's field forces Neil's hand, making Neil place his wandering eyes on some other heart-stopping opportunities. Sepp Straka has been filling it up in the last few weeks, with strong finishes at the Rocket Mortgage and Workday where birides were a must. If birdies are once again a priority at TPC Twin Cities, Straka could make some noise.

Outside the current FedEx Top 125, Brooks Koepka will have opportunities at the no cut WGC next week and at the PGA to make a move up the standings. Icarito's guess is that he won't wait until then, predicting Brooks could top this week's field. Koepka is coming off two weeks worth of two-way misses at Muirfield...but it may not be as difficult to rise up the board this week in a stinkier field that includes his brother. Is Chase a good player? Undoubtedly yes. Are there thousands of guys like him that unfortunately don't share the name of a 4x major champ? Also yes. Still, Brooks will face a few names that will could push him this week. One is Tommy Fleetwood, often omitted in  discussions of the best players in the world. According to Neil, Tommy Fleets will be buzzing this week in his return. 

 Amongst the wilderness, Randall was miraculously able to find enough signal to reach the DK Sportsbook and send in a few picks for the week. Randy admitted to not having a good sense for what's going to happen at the 3M this week, so he's playing it pretty safe with his picks. Based on his picks in recent weeks, I guess the big guy has not yet had a good sense for what's going to happen in 

 week to date. Hopefully his senses will be a little more heightened out to keep Randy in survival mode out in the elements.

I touched on Max earlier with DJ's picks, but we are so far 3 for 3 in NLU crew members picking Max in some form or fashion to play well this week. Bias is allowed, maybe even encouraged, but we'd love to see the big guy get bolder with his picks. For example, Bubba is +200 to miss the cut this week...and he always seems one bad break away from a mental breakdown. In Randy's defense, he was probably lost this week without Rickie in the field.

Harris English tied for 13th last week after testing positive for COVID-19 in Detroit. If stamina proves no issue this week, English has a good chance of taking advantage of his solid iron-play to possibly contend this week. Randy has seen enough out of Finau to officially make the coroner aware of his deteriorating "health status." (to be clear, Tony's physical health is ok...Randy has previously pronounced DJ and Rory to be "dead" based on their underwhelming play). Randy expects the weekend performance of Finau to bleed into this week, making Tommy Fleetwood a smart pick to best him.

: "Mike" Wallace and Tony Finau both contributed to a modestly positive week for TC at Memorial. The profits must have been burning a hole in his pocket, as TC spent little time spending his winnings on a few celebratory cocktails to enjoy while making his 3M picks from Ernie's big chair live in Minnesota.

Dustin Johnson's inability to break 80 doesn't seem to scare Tron at all, as he is picking DJ to back up his second-to-last performance with a win this week. If not Dustin, then maybe List or Gordon, who have both showcased that things are clicking lately in their efforts to secure their place on Tour for next year's "reach-around" season.

Two outstanding 2019 KFT graduates, Ventura and Higgs, round out TC's picks (we think, the  audio left something to be desired). Both the field and the venue may allow these two KFT standouts to draw on their success from last year to make some noise this week.

: Cantlay was positioned well to reward Soly in some way for quintupling down on him in his picks last week. However, a Sunday 79 left Soly re-enacting Rahm's driver slam on #11 last week (allegedly). Another 100 point loss.

Sticking to the same ideals, Soly is choosing to back Tony Finau this week. Finau’s resume now has a glaring number of missed opportunities listed including last week, where he was 10 over par in his last 30 holes. However, if there was ever a week, this is it. He decided to part ways with his long-time friend and caddy Greg Bodine after his finish on Sunday. A change of pace may give him the little fire he needs to break through against a soft field. His length and ability to go low is suited for Minny.

The only concession Soly is deciding to make regarding Finau's chances this week is that Matt Wolff has the strongest of resumes when it comes to TPC Twin Cities. Wolff doesn’t seem like a guy who will be phased by the expectations/extra duties of a defending champion. He has a chance to again take advantage of a venue that places importance on the strengths of his game. He will likely make this a regular stop, unlike Morikawa and DeChambeau who passed on this year’s 3M after contending last year.

: I promise I make my picks prior to watching the video of the picks the guys are making. With that being said, I do agree with Soly and DJ's opinion that Finau, Burns and Wolff are poised to contend this week. Finau and Wolff aren't exactly groundbreaking picks, but Burns is a little more under the radar. He has a winning pedigree as a Jack Nicklaus award winner at LSU. Hits it stupid far and putts it really well, profiling really well to win on Tour in the near future. If it’s only a matter of time until he wins, why not this week against a so-so field? Sloan and Piercy are a couple streaky guys I'm taking a shot on, as both profile as guys who are likely to either go low or miss the cut. Avoiding round numbers on my "nuggets" this week to try to mix up the vibe a little bit.

The standings below are as of completion of last week's Memorial. 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 Odds Preview - 3M Open

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

 Callaway Apex (3, 5-PW), Callaway Rogue (4)

What's in the Bag (and why): Neil

We are in the process of trying to erase all documentation of our Workday picks from the internet. Big Randy's McNealy MC prediction was literally the only winner of the week, earning him a very impactful 10 points. Take a look at our wild-ass-guesses for this week's Memorial:

 From an undisclosed location, DJ recorded his only pick for the second of two consecutive events at Muirfield Village. A perk of being standings leader is being able to take big swings without worry of the consequence of a big miss. Like a clean-up hitter in a scramble with a safe one out there, Dennis is letting one fly with an opportunity to nearly double his cumulative point total.

Morikawa has established a track record of consistency regardless of result in his prior week. I could see him following up his win with another solid week, especially on a potentially more difficult setup that should reward his premier ball-striking. Rickie is still prone to an unpredicatable foul ball, leading to a big number that is notably absent from the majority of Morikawa's scorecards. Former Jayhawk Gary Woodland will also look to follow up a solid payday in a matchup against Tony Finau, who shot 59 last week at his home course despite a 1 over finish in his last two holes. Both likely have untapped power, and it will be interesting to see if either decides to chase a little more distance in response to Bryson's evolution as the summer rolls on.

A rough week for Jon Rahm finished on a high note as he carded a tournament-low 64 last Sunday. DJ will need less of that type of play and more of the fore rights Rahm was battling last Thursday. Rahm admirably 

 Randy took an enormous chunk out of DJ's lead by earning 10 nugs when Mav McNealy missed last week's cut. Still, losses in his remaining picks flushed him from the green to the red in the cumulative totals. A similarly conservative approach this week gives him a chance to get back positive.

For the second time in three weeks, Randy is choosing to back Rickie, who of course was present behind the 18th green to show his close, personal friend JT his love and support. Unselfishly, Fowler finished T22 to give the full spotlight to his buddy. Randy's first pick of the week is in direct opposition to DJ, giving him another opportunity to take a large 35 point chunk out of the current deficit in the standings. The third spring break crew member, Jordan Spieth, will need improvement from the loose swings that led to his Friday collapse in missing the cut last week if he is going to top Sergio, who in contrast has built his career on the foundation of his ball-striking.

A familiar rivalry, Tiger vs. Phil, rounds out Randy's predictions. The big guy has put his heart on the line backing Phil for years...and will be emotionally tied again this week by predicting lefty will wrap his week up by shaking Mr. Nicklaus' hand. If Tiger is to spoil those plans, Randy thinks he would need to do so despite showing some early rust, as he is forecasting The Cat to make 3 or more bogeys in his opening round.  

 A two-week hiatus from picks seemingly did nothing in the way of curing Neil of his Chez addiction. Icarito has fallen off the wagon, itching for his fix of the scrappy vet. Unfortunately, Reavie showed form during Neil's absence, placing T17 last week. A similar performance at Muirfield this week may service as a scratch to Icarito's itch.

Backing Jason Day is a leap of faith in many ways. Will his body hold up for four days? Will he avoid an illness/positive COVID test? Are his crystals in alignment? If yes to all those....will he actually play well? A staple of Day's most successful days on Tour was his putting from 10 feet and in. His substandard year is partially due to a decrease in his make percentage on such putts. Home surfaces at Muirfield aided JayDay's putting last week. A duplicate performance will be necessary to keep Neil afloat this week...

...unless someone makes a 2 on a Par 5 this week. Completely up to the golf gods. Icarito will certainly be hoping the 14th hole setup utilizes the forward tees in multiple rounds this week. If not, the best chance for an albatross will likely come at #5. Last week, Phil took a line on 5 that left him 114 from the hole in the right rough. We'll see if anyone takes an equally aggressive line this week to give Neil a prayer at hitting the bullseye on this dart throw.

: TC's pattern of coming up a leg shy on the mega parlays has not acted as a deterrent. In fact, the number of legs has increased as the weeks have gone on. There's a reason parlay payouts look so juicy...the same reason he's O-fer so far.

Sungjae has been a popular pick throughout the entire crew since the restart despite lackluster results. Putting has been the primary issue in the past 5 weeks, having lost strokes to the field on the greens in every event except his T10 finish at Colonial. Also lackluster have been Finau and Leish since the Tour returned. TC may be looking for value in traditionally dependable players whose odds may be a little inflated due to recent struggles. Or...he may just be showing some love for Leish, who engaged in a mid-round interview last week with an NLU towel in hand. A final acknowledgement was given to "Mike" Wallace of Bellerive acclaim, who is a Euro who has decided to compete in the States for will now be the sixth consecutive week.

: Props to Soly for his willingness to change what has been a losing strategy to date. This week, he will ride almost exclusively with defending champion Patrick Cantlay. Cantlay finished last week with a 65, including a 5 under stretch in his first 5 holes. His last three starts at Muirfield Village have netted T4, 1st and T7 results, respectively.

Cantlay's first three rounds during the Workday event underwhelmed expectations he likely had entering the week. He fought a left (and often long) miss that usually leads to the worst places to be on PGA Tour setups. A crafty short-game, nervy par conversions and a grinder's mentality allowed him to make the cut on the number...giving him the opportunity to find a swing key that clicked on Sunday. Given three days to install that key, he's a likely contender again this week.

If not Cantlay, Soly concedes the only other possibility would be JT exacting revenge at Muirfield only 7 days after a surprising defeat. The fire JT has within him makes a rebound win this week infintely more likely than a despondent MC.

: Agree with Soly's take on Cantlay this week, but was shocked to see I'm the only one choosing to throw any nugs down on JT. Even at 10:1, I think there's a lot of value backing someone as talented, determined and motivated as Thomas is this week. Taking a flier on Xander to have a low one this week given his hot putter. If he can pair his performance on the greens last week with the ball-striking that helped him lead the field in SG: Off the Tee at the 2019 Memorial, a low one could be out there for Schauffele.

In closing, have to show a little personal bias in picking a friend and former teammate to finish Top 10 @ TPC San Antonio this week. Arman will be making his 2nd career Korn Ferry Tour start by virtue of Monday qualifying, this time pacing the field in posting an 11 under par 60. Can't relate. A Top 10 would certainly be a nice payday...but potentially more importantly would secure his spot in the field of next week's Price Cutter Championship in his home state of MO. A few comments from Nick about his performance Monday and outlook for this week

The standings below are as of completion of last week's streamable Workday Open. 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 Odds Preview - Memorial Tournament

It's becoming a runaway in the standings as DJ correctly picked a tournament winner for the 2nd time in 3 weeks. Most of the guys are taking mighty hacks this week in an effort to cut into DJ's early lead. Randy, however, seems content trying to stay net positive. Take a look:

 Hard to argue DJ’s logic. Brooks has an established history of producing when he feels he’s been slighted. The last month has been very Bryson-centric in the golf world, and his win Sunday shifted the betting favorite for this year’s majors from Rory/Brooks to DeChambeau. Insert MJ “I took that personally” gif. Smelling blood, “Vegas Pie” (DJ Vegas?) is unleashing a whale play with the potential to likely finish this competition should Brooks win and JT finish runner-up.

Mav McNealy rode a hot putter to a Top 10 finish last week, which has polarized DJ and Randy in their predictions for how he will back up the 2nd best finish of his professional career at this week's Workday. McNealy has relied heavily on his putter really throughout his rookie campaign, ranking 14th in SG: Putting this season. In contrast, he has lost strokes approaching the green this year (had to confirm he hasn’t also broken this statistic). A repeat of last week’s improved ball-striking will likely be required for Maverick to earn another Sunday afternoon tee time.

Though this week and next week's setup seemingly won't be terribly different, a less demanding birdiefest this week would likely enhance Matt Wolff’s prospects. Wolff will need to prove he’s capable of layering back-to-back solid weeks to best a struggling Billy Horschel, Mr. All-In Kokrak, HV3 and the king of the haterblockers, Kevin Streelman in Group "E." With a solid record at Muirfield and a recent close call in Cromwell, Streels may be set for a run this week.

 Listen, no one is going to accuse the big guy of getting out over his skis this week. It would be more than fair to compare Randy’s second week of picks to playing penny slots. Worth noting that a perfect week would bring him within a mere 532 points of DJ’s lead. Much like his ride or die guy Rickie, Randy may be content embracing the role of dog, not killer.

As mentioned above, Randy is banking on McNealy’s putter entering the frozone on a set of unfamiliar greens, leading to a MC. Friend of the pod Max Homa has a case for golfer most hindered by the COVID-19-induced break. In the calendar year 2020, Max finished Top 25 in 7 of his 8 starts prior to the abrupt pause in March at The Players. Having missed 2 of 3 cuts since the restart, Randy hopes for a return to form after Max took last week off. At -137, Byeong-Hun An is a modest favorite to beat Workday ambassador Brandt Snedeker this week. If Brandt dedicates this week’s performance to the title sponsor during his pre-tourney presser, Randy may as well start raking in his points given how well Phil’s Workday shoutout turned out.

Big Randy will have all week to wait for his final prop. An eye-popping 12 points ride on the winner’s score on the 72nd hole being something other than a par 4. For reference, the first four weeks has featured two winners who made par on their 18th hole Sunday (Simpson, Johnson), and two who made birdie (Berger, DeChambeau).

 A single shot (worse for Rodgers or better for Duncan) kept TC from winning the improbable five-leg cross-tour mega parlay last week. Happy to see he’s back on the parlay train this week, this time sticking strictly to the PGA Tour event. Serious consideration was given to getting involved with this Sunday’s true main event: F1’s Steiermark GP at the Red Bull Ring.

A model of consistency, especially in terms of flying under the radar, Marc Leishman’s 50 to 1 return potential makes him too appealing for Tron (and later, Soly) to pass on. TC has voiced his belief that JT is poised to win this week on multiple NLU platforms…but decided to only back him to the tune of ten nuggets. Ultimately, his largest sum this week entitles him to a first-class ticket aboard the “powder” keg that is Jordan Spieth. A long-awaited Spieth victory would vault TC well ahead of DJ in the standings, furthering the point that DJ’s wins thus far are  just 

. From the clouds, TC’s final pick was K.H. Lee to win. Amongst a field featuring 5 of the top 10 players in the world, Lee’s recent form (MC in 3 of the last 4 weeks) and resume at Muirfield (one start, T37 in 2019) made him an 

: Sungjae Im has twice contributed to the deficit Soly has built himself in the standings. If the third time is not the charm this week, Sungjae could potentially spoil two separate picks…including a matchup parlay pinning Im against the new team of Matt Fitzpatrick and (yet another friend of the pod) Bones Mackay. Another leg of the parlay features Muirfield newcomer Viktor Hovland picked to beat Rickie, who has contended at The Memorial on multiple occasions. The final leg predicts Marc Leishman, another of Soly’s favorites to ultimately win this week, will finish ahead of Ian Poulter.

Matt Wolff @70:1 made sense to Soly this week given the course profile closely resembles TPC Twin Cities, site of Wolffie’s first Tour win. Personally, I’d love to see Soly’s final pick, Chris Kirk, emerge victorious this week…but maybe not for the reasons you may think. Kirk, whose success has been built on his short game and ability to fill it up with the putter, would need to earn a win this week despite his length…not because of it. Should Kirk win, it would present a priceless contrast to a potential Bryson victory in the week following. I can already hear the cries of Jack watching Bryson abuse Muirfield next week…”Barbara, Barbara! He’s ruining my course! That wasn’t my intent! He’s taking all the risk out of my risk/reward staples! We’ve gotta dial it back, Barbara! Call the fans in and get this thing shut down!”

:Hard to believe Hideki is plus money to finish as low Asian competitor given the consistency he's displayed at Muirfield, but I'll concede that some of the picks the guys made above (Im, An, and of course the ever-dangerous K.H. Lee) present a challenge worth noting. Cantlay has been a force at Muirfield the last two years (4th, 1st) and played well in his only appearance since the restart (T11, Travelers). Rickie, often a bridesmaid in Dublin, seemed to find some ball-striking form last week, hitting 60/72 greens in regulation en route to a T12 finish. As a potential nod to his biggest fan Big Randy, he has surprisingly struggled lately on the greens...but I'd be surprised if he didn't settle in this week on familiar surfaces at his friend Jack's place. Troy Merritt was emasculated by Bryson on national TV last Sunday. I think his mature response to a notoriously tone-deaf Bryson comment earned him some goodwill with the golf gods, translating to a Top 20 this week. 

The standings below are as of completion of last week's transcendent Rocket Mortgage. 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 your picks are as good as DJ's...or as bad as Neil and Soly's...let us know how you're doing!

NLU Odds Preview - Workday Charity Open

Neil, Soly and Tron go to the legendary Palatka muni, designed by Donald Ross in 1925.

Crash Course is a new podcast & video series from No Laying up that will offer unfiltered opinions on golf courses around the world.

2020

Crash Course: Palatka Golf Course

All are looking for a rebound from a fairly standard week of fruitless picks at the Travelers. Here's a breakdown of each prayer the crew hopes is answered in Detroit. My take on the picks can be found beneath each summary in a section titled 

 With an already commanding lead, DJ is embracing his luxury by putting his eggs into the basket of this week’s favorite, Bryson. Chances are the 50 “eggs” DJ is depositing into Bryson’s basket wouldn’t be sufficient to get the beefy boy through the week. I agree with the NLU consensus that Bryson has yet to put it all together, despite finishing top 10 in three consecutive weeks since the return of golf (and 6 straight overall!!). However, I wonder if fatigue or sluggishness starts to become a factor in what is now his fourth straight week of competition. He’s assuredly still adjusting to his new frame and likely struggling to maintain his mass of ass.

Dennis is also fading guys who finished Top 20 in last year’s RMC in ALL 3 legs of his matchup parlay. Seems DJ's comfy lead has propelled him into the mindset of a gambling aficianado, as he submerges himself fully into the contrarian waters. Will he be able to swim with the sharps?

 Randy has graciously returned from his moral duty to assist the supers at both Colonial and Harbour Town. The big guy couldn't bring himself to make picks given the disgusting act that took place on the first tee at Colonial prior to the playoff. He then spent many hours meticulously raking and smoothing the bunker behind the 18th green at Harbour Town which Carlos Ortiz's caddy shamelessly left unkempt.

After investing hours of sweat equity back into the game, Randy is ready to make his picks debut this week. Simply sitting on the sidelines has vaulted Big Randy into 2nd place amongst a group of sad saps in the overall standings. A U.S. open has broken out on the NLU leaderboard. If not for DJ, many would argue DK Sportsbook has lost the course.

Randy's first pick was certainly inauspicious, as he joined his Strapped brother Neil in picking a player who tested positive for COVID-19 and then withdrew before our video was even released. The big guy's intel is telling him Will Gordon is wayyyyy too comfy following his promotion to Special Temporary Membership. His remaining picks showcased his true color: orange. While the faux mortician Randall has declared both Rory and DJ lifeless, his picks indicate his belief that Rickie is decidedly still kicking. Rickie is competing this week in a tournament title-sponsored by one of his endorsers. In other news, Faldo is suggesting tour players chip exclusively with an 8 iron, Bill Belichick is making winning moves, and the sky remains blue.

 TC’s loyalty to the NLU hitters last week was certainly representative of his character and class. It was also reminiscent of an uncle who plays a little too fast and loose at the casual family poker game.

At the end of the day, Freddy’s gotta go to college…which means Tron is abandoning his morals this week and backing a familiar foe in Jason Day....disgusting. After witnessing Day’s ability to manipulate his tee time and pairing last Saturday, TC clearly believes J-Day has a leg-up on the field. Sad to see the potential for a few “nuggets” can cause even the man himself to stray far from the TC way.

As always TC keeps us plugged in to the Korn Ferry Tour this week with his mega matchup parlay. It's always cooler to see a life-changing win on that Tour in comparison to DJ upping his net worth by about 0.1%.

: A slow start for Soly has him swinging for the fences in an attempt to cut into DJ’s commanding lead. Admitted to making his picks under the assumption that Detroit GC was a bomber’s track but, at 7,100 yards and Par 72, that’s not necessarily the case. Many moderate length guys lined the top of last year’s leaderboard. Luckily for Soly, only one player in the “nukey-boy-naish” lineup he supposedly attempted even ranks within the top 60 in driving distance (Finau). I guess two contradictions could net a positive outlook for Soly this week.

I think the golf world is unanimously excited to see how Chris Kirk responds this week in his first start since ending his four-year win drought two weeks ago on the Korn Ferry Tour. The drought paralleled an ongoing struggle with depression and alcoholism that led to Kirk taking an extended leave from professional golf. Kirk is the featured guest on today's NLU pod. Both Kirk and Soly’s penultimate pick, Brendon Todd, have provided uniquely inspirational stories of mental toughness in the last year…and Soly now has a stake in both continuing their success in Detroit this week.

 Taking a much needed siesta from the grind of handicapping golf this week. Some, not me, are calling it a Chez-induced rehabilitation stint. Can’t really call his performance thus far an “Icarito” as Neil has yet to come close to winning a single pick so far. On the other hand, you can’t choke if you never get out in front. Would you rather be a Greg Norman or a Bobby Clampett? (Don't answer)

: Like Soly, I am a believer in the chances of Patty Reed and Hovland this week. Hoping to avoid a cheating scandal and an excess of chipping opportunities, respectively. Doc and Stuard are a couple guys who played well here last year and aren't afraid to make a ton of birdies...which will certainly be a requirement to contend this Sunday. Looking for somewhere to throw those quarters lingering in your cupholders? Look no further than Wes Roach (150:1). Led last year's field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and finished T5 two weeks ago in the Korn Ferry Challenge @TPC Sawgrass. Anticipating he comes in free and easy.

The standings below are as of completion of last week's Travelers Championship. 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 

Videos

NLU Picks and Preview - Northern Trust

NLU Picks and Preview - Wyndham

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

2020 US Open @ Winged Foot Picks & Preview

NLU picks for the 2020 PGA Championship

Tron becomes a Callaway Certified Master Fitter

Making picks for the 2020 WGC - FedEx St. Jude Invitational

NLU Odds Preview - 3M Open

What's in the Bag (and why): Neil

NLU Odds Preview - Memorial Tournament

NLU Odds Preview - Workday Charity Open

Crash Course: Palatka Golf Course

NLU Odds Preview - Rocket Mortgage Classic

Crash Course: Silvies Valley Ranch

Wild World of Golf: Luke Guthrie and Ben Kohles (TPC Sawgrass, Dye's Valley)

Crash Course: Erin Hills

Crash Course: Gearhart Golf Links

NLU Lefty Challenge at Jax Beach