When we set out to form what eventually became No Laying Up in 2014, the main goal was to create a community of golf fans capable of having authentic and tangible conversations about the game we love. While we have loved interacting with followers on social media, we couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something missing from that community.

. The goal for this message board is to create a place where golf fans can engage in respectful, nuanced, and authentic golf conversations. Whether that be discussion on professional golf, help with organizing a weekend game, golf travel, or golf course architecture, we believe that our followers have the intellectual capacity and the resources to add value to the conversation around golf.

In addition, we plan to engage with listeners and followers on a daily basis. Whether that be feedback on podcasts, tweets, or blog posts, or simply suggestions or agreements/disagreements with our takes, we welcome followers to use this medium to provide the feedback that is sometimes hard to get across in 280 characters on twitter.

With that, the head cover is coming off. Sign up now, and let’s hear your takes.

Introducing the No Laying Up Message Board: The Refuge

Nothing too specific to riff on, just a lot going on…

He is who we thought/hoped he was, despite the unhinged over-analysis of every swing. Today should yield more to go off of. Outside of an injury scare or a score in the 80’s, there’s really not a whole lot to read into. Surely he’ll continue to knock the rust off for another dozen rounds or so, but let’s not get stuck in the weeds of the ebbs and flows. While the networks want to see a huge initial burst, the whole thing is a #process and the preferred route is a measured, steady progression in the right direction. Thus far:

(+) Chipping looked good. The yips never totally recede but they appear dormant, beaten back by improved #releasepatterns.

Rely on my own feels. Getting my feels and trusting. Am I going to have different feels. Work my way up the board. Build toward the Masters. L5-S1 and it only has maybe six degrees of rotation.

 On the downside he definitely left a few out there – he referred to Patrick Reed as simply “Pat,” and failed to incorporate 

(?) Putter TBD. This will dictate his results and show whether he’s grinding on the right stuff like its the mid-2000’s.

(-) Clothing a definite mixed bag. Instead of the white belt he’s consistently worn with white hat/shoes in the past, Cat opted for a black belt on Wednesday. Thursday’s black sweater/black pants combo on the range was a sharp, however things deteriorated from there. He doffed the outergarment and revealed a troubling piece of attire that one would hesitate to label a “shirt.” Nike had ten months to scheme and dropped the ball in a big way.

To get him in the right frame of mind he had a shirt made out of the skin of Stephen Ames.



— Wipey Fades (@Bosch3333) 

Overall verdict: INCOMPLETE. Again, #process.

– Pat Reed’s game looked a little rusty but he still scored well. Confident he takes a step forward this year. Reed missed a huge missed sartorial/alpha male opportunity yesterday – I expected a Kansas City Chiefs “color rush” scheme in lieu of the subdued blue hues he came out in. Perhaps his hands are tied now that he’s with Nike, but anything less than aggro red for the remainder of the week is a disappointment. On a more macro level, Reed’s attire this year will be a source of fascination, namely whether they’ll look to pigeonhole into the form-fitting, blade collar side of their spectrum in an attempt to normalize that look for the “dad bod” demographic. Time will tell.

– Despite the inveterate flaws and immense what-ifs of Torrey Pines, the venue consistently provides an interesting leaderboard. In years past reading into the results prior to the conclusion of round 2 would’ve been a pointless exercise due to the split course format and disparity between North and South, but since the renovation of the North the scores continue to converge.

:



71.308 = North
71.615 = South



— Rob Bolton (@RobBoltonGolf) 

After day one the group at/within three shots of the lead includes bombers (Finau, Garrigus, List, Vegas, Haas), thoroughbreds (Rahm, Rose, Cantlay), split-schedulers (Suri, Uihlein, Molinari), exciting newbies (Lovelady, Diaz) comebackers (Bae, Every, Palmer, Mahan), horses for courses (Choi, Howell), frothy malcontents (Sabbo, Grayson, Reed), and a mini-tour God (Potter). Expanding to the group within six shots of the lead shows more of the same diversity – giddy up!

– Surprised to see Woodland and Harman struggle on Thursday as they typically thrive here (Harman, like Choi, hits fairways plain and simple). NOT surprised to see Blair and Ogilvy struggle, as both are likely unable to move beyond the architectural malpractice to focus on the task at hand. Sad!

– Thanks to the PGATOURLIVE featured Feline coverage I caught a bunch of Matsuyama yesterday and he did not disappoint. He slopped it around on the first five holes and taught a masterclass in body language.

– Speaking of coverage, can we go ahead and punt on regular tv coverage? After seeing Sky in action last week on the Euro Tour and then the sheer quality of the LIVE coverage yesterday I’m convinced that the pay model is the way to go, at least Thu/Fri. When the quality of the coverage deteriorates once 3pm hits that’s a problem.

– Pleased to see Trey Mullinax fire a two-under 70 yesterday – he’s much too talented to finish 137th in FEC standings, as he did last year. Three made cuts in a row and some nice momentum heading in to the meat of the west coast swing.

– Keep an eye on Matt Every this week and the next few (fired a first round 69). Good things on the horizon, I’m sure of it.

– When you wake up to a text from Kyle Porter that reads “Haotong Li bucking his head!” it’s gonna be a great day. Back-to-back 66’s have him one behind Jamie Donaldson for the outright lead. I wasn’t very familiar with Haotong until his tour de force performance at Birkdale last year so I made it a point to follow up last week and was not disappointed. I can report funny as hell and possesses a refreshing disposition. A 22 year old Chinese guy with game, gravitas, and good threads – that should get the #growthegame contingent hot and bothered!

??????????



Just the 10 birdies today for 

, including these two on his final two holes ? 





— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) 

– Branden Grace posted a 65 on Friday and finds himself two shots back and one shot ahead of the Pacemaker and Mechanic, and two shots ahead of Immelman (who seemed renewed on the range last week in AD) and Paisley (ride that heater!).

– Detry, Levy, Hatton, and Pieters are all within striking distance – make no mistake that THE EUROS ARE COMING Y’ALL. Fleetwood well within the cut-line but eight shots back. Appointment viewing this weekend, per usual.

– Continue to keep #FriendOfThePod Blayne Barber’s caddie Cory Gilmer top of mind – he continues to make small improvements but a long road ahead. Glad to see Blayne taking the week off to recharge. If you’re so inclined, here’s 

– As you’ve assuredly seen by now, the 

 was patently outrageous. Obviously not a good look for Rhein, but the caddie (Brandon Davis) has a reputation that precedes him and didn’t do himself any favors with his social media grand tour after the fact. Normally I tend toward #TeamCaddie, since they’re usually the ones who get shit on in the power dynamic, but both guys had blood on their hands in this instance. One #source said “the caddie is a clown but Rhein can be a real ass-hat in his own right, so they were perfect for one another.” Bottom line: I LOVE THE WEB TOUR.

– Caught some LPGA yesterday from the Bahamas – legitimately enthralling. Winds were up and ladies were flighting hitting hybrids into 147 yard par threes. Sign me up! Unfortunately play is suspended today due to the winds and will resume first thing Saturday (hopefully the winds don’t die down too much – this is a nice substitute for the lack of Web Tour Bahamas carnage). Brooke Henderson leads.

– I’ll echo SVP and give ALL the props to JRay for the Tiger-centric statistical conquest he’s been on this week:

Insane. Great work, J Ray.



— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) 

– To close things out I want to start a new tradition: take of the week. It was an easy choice this week thanks to our old buddy LD bringing the heat on Tuesday. He shut it down with this one!

Lol…Dude Perfect, five years late and lacking the same journalistic bite. On the upside, a bright career lies ahead in the PR dept of religiously-intolerant oil kleptocracies. 





— lawrencedonegan (@lawrencedonegan) 

Friday Feels: Torrey

Big thanks to DJ for taking the reins on last week’s briefing while Soly and I wandered the desert searching for content, fossil fuels, and decent bandwidth (can safely say that the UAE is not a point of presence for undersea cables). Let’s get you primed for the first girthy event of the year on the US Tour, along with the erstwhile Dubai event on the Euro side.

I might be the wrong guy to get you hyped for this one, as it doesn’t quite ring in my loins for reasons mostly having to do with the Torrey Pines. The dual course setup for rounds 1 and 2 is always cool, in that it allows for a larger field and offers more variety. Despite the improvements made to the North Course in recent years and the historic relevance of the South Course, I’m always left with a sense of longing and disappointment while watching the Farmers, like the course could be so much more. The overhead below speaks volumes: back and forth long par-fours insulating you from the cliffs just enough to dampen the scene. Simply put, the South Course boasts one of the most spectacular sites for a golf course in the entire country, yet somehow manages to feel like a boring, penal slog that espouses the worst elements of “championship” golf (“Firestone on the Pacific”).

Conversely, I’m genuinely excited to see increased coverage of the North Course (thanks to feline-centric coverage on Friday) and will watch the weekend in its entirety, as the results are somehow always interesting. DJ adds the following intel from his years of covering the event for the #Csuite: Hosting the occasional U.S. Open, especially a historic one, typically ensures a solid crowd on the grounds. The fans that turn up for the Farmers are typically informed and laid back as hell. It’s second only to Pebble as far as the most incredible scenery on Tour, so it’s pretty hard for anyone to be too stressed out. Roaming around the North Course is where it’s at.

Let’s keep it short and sweet and let you discern from the hundreds of Tiger hype pieces floating around this week to formulate your take. Talk is cheap – need/want to see him in action. There’s nothing to say until we’ve got something to go off of (though I struggle to hide my disappointment that there weren’t any “worst-ball 66’s” this time around).

Beyond Cat, the tournament field possesses strong top-end talent in Matsuyama (curious to see if he can win), Mickelson, Rickie, Rahm, Cantlay, Leishman, Hoffman and Rose (JDay not top-end in my book). However the depth of this event always sates the palate more than the big names, as this is the first event for newcomers to go out and really make a name for themselves. The reach-around season is just that, and the Sony and CareerBuilder struggle to stick out amongst the cluttered sports landscape of NFL Playoffs, NBA/NHL and College Bball. In recent years Swafford, Kizzire, Strebber, Finau and Stanley thrived here. This week will be an excellent litmus test for Justin Rose – after three wins during the silly season, plus some additional top-five finishes he seems to be flying in under the radar. While he scuffled a bit on Thu/Fri last week in Abu Dhabi, he’s undoubtedly still in a groove and this place sets up perfectly for him.

Here are the last two leaderboards for this event (Snedeker’s 2016 final round was a Ken Duke level performance – resplendent play amidst gnarly conditions):

Leaning upon our entire NLU suite of takesmiths, here are everyone’s lasting memories of the event:

Tiger winning his 6th or 7th or 19th time (I conflate the multitude of 90’s/00’s Buick-sponsored events) and wondering what he would do with another weird looking Buick LaCrosse or Enclave, and then going down the wormhole of Tiger’s impossibly-bizarre relationship with Buick (only thing that would’ve made it better: if it had been a Buick instead of an Escalade that fateful night).

Paragliders, man. Beyond that, not much. That’s not true, I guess, as this was the scene of Tiger’s infamous glute malfunctioning. Thereafter I always remember Torrey tangentially. “Activated glutes” is a timeless gift from Cat that I am eternally thankful for. But yeah, paragliders. Thanks CBS.

My lasting memory of the Farmers is undoubtedly the 2012 debacle. The original man crush, Kyle F’n Stanley once led by as many as seven shots on Sunday. Well on his way to his first win as a 23 year-old second year pro, he started leaking oil down the stretch with it finally culminating in him spinning his third shot into the water on the 72nd hole. Needing just a 7 to collect his first title, he three putted for an 8 and eventually lost in a playoff to Brandt Snedeker. Of course, he rebounded and won the next week in Phoenix, but considering I had already taken a victory lap with Randy and Tron, it was an especially tough one to take.

 My lasting memory of the Farmers is following Spencer Levin on a Sunday morning a few years ago. He started the day just a few off the lead and very much in the hunt. After a bogey at the 4th hole, however, he was already mentally derailed. He walked off the green dragging his putter lifelessly behind him looking like sad Charlie Brown. Completely dejected. A fan, of which there were very few, yelled out, “You got it Spencer!” and, without looking up, he waved the fan off with a dismissive wave of his hand. He got to the next tee box and swung at it with what looked like about 70 percent, letting go of the driver on the recoil and kicking it sadly down the tee box. Jimmy Walker hits it long anyway, but he got him by about 80 yards. I don’t know why this sticks with me, but it’s the best example I can think of as far as why it’s so much more fun to get away from the stars and just watch guys up close and in their element.

 John Daly’s victory in 2004 always stuck with me. He was way outside the top 200 in the world, seemingly hadn’t done anything in years, switched to Dunlop equipment that week and outdueled Ryder Cuppers Chris Riley and Luke Donald in a playoff to snare the title. Cat then won the next four iterations and the years start blending together.

For the second week in a row US fans are treated to a strong field for breakfast coverage, this time with the striking backdrop of Dubai’s skyline accenting the golf. Most of the players who played in Abu Dhabi last week stuck around for this week’s proceedings with the addition of Sergio, who joins the mix to defend his title fresh off a victory in Singapore last week. Startling to see Pat Perez in the field in Dubai considering his deep ties at Torrey. The field strength for this year’s DDC is decidedly stronger than in 2017, likely owing to it’s spot one week earlier on the schedule in lieu of Qatar. Keenly interested to see how Rory fares – this is a pseudo home game for him and anything less than a win this week will feel like a disappointment coming on the heels of his encouraging debut last week and his built-in comfort level standing in the hall of fame. Of course Tommy Fleetwood is red-hot and showing no signs of slowing down, ride til you get bucked off!

– I’d be remiss if I didn’t welcome CBS back to the fold for this week’s event. Promised some of the suits I’d keep an open mind, which I’ve done. But if there aren’t marked improvements year over year then go ahead and clear my schedule next week.

– The Web Tour finishes up today in the Bahamas before shifting gears for the Latin American Swing: Panama, Colombia and Mexico. The talent out there is so deep, and the schedule’s improved immensely versus last year thanks to a few subtle tweaks.

– LPGA season debuts this week in the Bahamas before heading off to Australia, Thailand and Singapore through mid-March. The ladies game is an area of increased emphasis for NLU in 2018. Beyond the quality of the golf there is a lot to learn from the ladies game, especially considering the fan-friendly elements inherent in each event and a schedule that truly constitutes a world tour. The weather forecast for this week calls for 20-25 mph winds – sign me up!!! Also enjoyed this article on the 

 My one request is a “Korea vs. the World” Ryder Cup-style competition. /would attend

– Shoutout to Peter Ripa and the tournament team at the Farmers for a strong group of sponsor exemptions this year – they truly delivered with a foursome of delectable young talents: Mav, Xiong, Cam Davis and Sam Burns. Now that we’ve got a few events under our belts I’ll start adding them to a master doc for tracking purposes. #accountability

 will post along with early commitments beginning of December. 

– Jason Day withdrew from Wednesday’s pro-am due to a lumbar ouchie – how is this even allowed? The whole schtick is getting tired. You’re either in, or you’re out. Idea for Farmers/Zurich: a JDay-themed commercial where he faces an endless litany of injuries/woes and what insurance coverage/liability umbrella they fall under. Could do a new one for every tournament he plays in.

– This week marks the two year anniversary of this gem from Soly:

Morning Drive tried to kill #TourSauce last week, but they were kind enough to 

admit their mistake and invite me on to give a crash course lesson

. The segment was cut a bit short due to the Abu Dhabi Championship running long, so most of what I wanted to say about what #TourSauce has become and what it is now was not able to be said. Not shown in the attached video, Paige Mackenzie went seemingly out of her way to miss the point, and mentioned that she couldn’t relate to it because she “actually played on tour.” Other than that, I think the message was well received, and we won’t be seeing anymore cringe worthy segments with bottles of “Tour Sauce” on the program.

Weekly Briefing: Farmers Open/Dubai Desert Classic

Extra-girthy leaderboard developing here in the Middle East on Saturday afternoon, just in time for everyone back stateside to roll out of bed, grab some coffee and flip on the tube. Sky Sports has the coverage on site. Beemer and Wayne Riley roaming the grounds. Put it in my veins. What a pleasure rubbing shoulders with these cats all week – the coverage they provide is spot-on and should be an example of what networks should aspire to in the US.

One update on the vibe front before we get to the golf: heard some rumors prior to seeing it in person, and they all turned out to be true: the Friday brunch scene here is legendary. There are a staggering number of ex-pats from all over the world here and they truly live the work hard, play hard mantra. To the golf…

 making the leap this year? It sure feels that way Keeps a suuuuuper low profile and slumped since Firestone (was 23rd in OWGR at that time, has since fallen to 40th). Feels like he needed an adjustment period to get his feet under him, figure out how he wants to build his schedule, and now he’s ready to roll. He’s the antidote to people who complain about Euro Tour guys being unfairly rewarded in OWGR. Take a look at Jhonny Vegas, who is currently one spot ahead of Pieters. Vegas won the Canadian Open back-to-back the last two years but hasn’t done much of anything in majors or top-tier events, while Pieters hasn’t won yet in the states he’s bagged three wins in Europe and keeps stacking top-fives in Majors and WGC’s. Don’t want to read too deep into one showing, but the sense here is that he’s putting it all together. One thing that will need to improve is his consistency – missed seven cuts last year.

Another guy who has good things in store this year is 

bring his name up to anyone out here – players, caddies, officials, agents, etc. – and everyone raves about him. His game is tidy, he’s won massive events, and he’s criminally underrated stateside. By all accounts he has even more game off the course (#fuqs).

One of the reasons for this trip was essentially a fact-finding mission to scout out prominent Europeans who don’t play often in the states but are very much relevant on the world stage. Some notes on that front: Still need to get out and see 

 today or tomorrow – he’s the one guy on my list who I have not yet seen play. Thus far the guys who I was keen to see have impressed – 

 seem to be polishing off some rust, however both possess swings that scream “high ceiling.” 

is filling it up today (7 under thru 13 today, two behind his countryman and fellow Illinois alum Pieters) and has a buttery swing, sharp disposition and exceptional Hugo Boss threads. 

 also been quite impressive – he reminds me of a more athletic version of McDowell (no offense GMac). “Uncle” 

, on the other hand, seems to be getting by with grit and superior course management – his swing and stature equate to a souped-up version of Billy Hurley. 

 both fly under the radar and possess silky tempo. Caught a few holes of 

 yesterday – he’s indistinguishable from Westwood from a distance (speaking of whom, shocking/sad to see Lee ditch the “Air Westy’s” and make the switch to Nike – he’s not the same without them).

 is marvelous – couldn’t be more engaging with the fans. His energy level and disposition are a example for other guys to follow. He’s defending this week, has an infant at home and his travel schedule over the last few years has been nutty – the guy is getting pulled in a million different directions and yet he manages to put on a ballstriking clinic and not miss a beat. Poise, man.

Got deep in some capital J Journalism yesterday and got the backstory on 

, who shot 86-80 to miss the cut by 24 strokes. He is the first Emirati golfer to turn professional and is based out of Dubai. He plays mostly on the Euro Tour’s Middle East/North Africa version of the PGA Tour Latinoamerica. He received one of three spots afforded golfers with UAE ties. I discussed golf’s trajectory in the Emirates with some of the gentlemen responsible for 

 here, along with one of my partners in the Pro-Am, an Emirati national named Saef who plays on the country’s Eisenhower Cup team. The focus seems to be more on getting kids involved in the game at a grassroots level rather than incubating up-and-coming talent. Need to build the pipeline from scratch.

On that front, I relished the opportunity to speak at length with the tournament organizers and was shocked to learn how few exemptions they’re working with. They have eight total, three of which go to the aforementioned UAE-tied guys, and then the remainder on Dechambeau (past US Am champ, which they like to recognize here), Bjorn (current Ryder Cup captain), one on Olazabal (legend), one on Rock (past champ), and one on McDowell (who is no longer exempt on the Euro Tour). Beyond that, they were able to get Kuchar and DJ in via their spots in the top 50 in the world. Otherwise everyone here is pretty much here on his own accord, owing to the fact that its a great season opener in a comfortable setting. The European Tour schedule fascinates me. This year, the shift of the Qatar event to February to pair with the new Oman event is a boon for this tournament, as now Abu Dhabi are in back-to-back weeks. Many European players will then head over to the states to play either/both Riviera and Honda. By utilizing appearance fees and exemptions effectively (particularly since the price of oil started slumping) this event has surpassed that of Dubai, despite having a much shorter history.

 this week. He’s been out here ferrying Kuch around…props to the big Dane 

for flashing some game during a Ryder Cup year, he made the cut and keeps climbing up the board – pretty impressive considering all of the extra time and energy required of the captain…Trying to dig a little bit on 

, who was a prominent junior player in the states during my formative years and then attended UNLV – he then faded into obscurity for almost a decade before reemerging the past couple years on the Japan Tour and now 

sits comfortably inside the top 100 in the world

. Was quite shocked to see him bouncing around and am fascinated to see if his game translates outside of Asia…Speaking of the top 100, some interesting takeaways just running through it: 

 is up to 35th in the world despite only having 15 events on the books (his divisor is 40 events, so even if he plays mediocre golf this year he should continue to rise). Meanwhile, 

 is down to 93rd in the world and dropping like a rock…speaking of rocks: 

 hair is as spectacular in person as one could hope…I went deep down the Eisenhower Cup wormhole after playing with Saef in the pro-am – the 1994 iteration at Le Golf National in France featured 

. Doyle ended up winning low honors – need to do a deep dive on him, seems like a legendary cat….Last but not least, we simply don’t deserve 

. He’s in form this week and should be primed for a big 2018. Currently 49th in the world and rising rapidly.

If you missed it yesterday, here’s what we were up to Monday through Friday this week. Enjoy the coverage today…

Abu Dhabi: Weekend Update

Went out on Friday morning with Branden Grace, Martin Kaymer, and Bernd Wiesberger. The crowds were light-ish, and the farther we got from the clubhouse, the more and more remote things felt. Like, it was so quiet out there, that I’m pretty sure they were wondering what the hell I was doing following them. The vibe was contagious, and they carried on casual conversations in full earshot of the few fans that were out there with no care on whether or not they were overheard.

On the par-3 4th, Grace had the honor, but had ducked into the port-o-potty behind the tee box. As the green cleared, Wiesberger headed towards the tee and asked Grace if he could go ahead. Branden obviously didn’t care, and Bernd knocked one in pretty tight to about ten feet. Then Grace got up and stuffed one to about two feet. He turned to Wiesberger, and said (something along the lines of): “If you would have just let me go first, that would have been you.”

After they both birdied, Grace motioned at Wiesberger and asked if it was OK if he actually take his honor. Did I mention that the Euro Tour is just the best?

The stripe show went on, and through five holes on the back, the group was nine under par without breaking a sweat. Clearly inspired by the Pro-Am round with Tron, Grace ran off six birdies on that side in route to a 30, and a Friday round of 64.

Watching Fleetwood on Thursday was an absolute treat. He’s far from a short hitter, but obviously consistently behind Rory and DJ throughout the day. Playing first into almost every green, he hit all eighteen greens en route to a 66. I love the 100% commitment that you see in every single swing. There’s never any defensiveness, and he plays with an enviable amount of confidence. He’s a terrifying guy to have opposing your squad come Ryder Cup time.

On the exterior, DJ doesn’t seem to care whether he shoots 66 or 76. In an event that he was clearly paid to play in, 12 time zones away from Kapalua, you would think this is the perfect opportunity for him to mail one in. He didn’t hit it great at all on Thursday, but there was no mail in. After a poor chip, he let out several audible expressions of disappointment (surprisingly, 100% PG rated), and was noticeably peeved at giving back a shot. Hardly noteworthy, but surprising to me to see him that much on the grind on a Thursday morning in Abu Dhabi when it’s not something we ever see shine through on tv.

On Friday, I followed his group in for the last six holes. He shot 64 and I didn’t even notice. I’ve easily seen at least 100 DJ tee shots in person in my life, and I still found myself saying “GEEZ” under my breath this afternoon. Watching he and Rory go toe-to-toe off the tee from two completely different frames is fascinating. Rory is smaller in person than you would think, and DJ is even bigger. The fact that they hit it the same distance is staggering, and still hard to comprehend.

Rory played the first 36 holes without a bogey, sits at 9-under just three shots off the pace, yet still somehow seemed a hair rusty. He ran in a long eagle on the 18th to shoot 66, yet still somehow seemed to burn the edge on 15 footer after 15 footer. I swear it seems like he has 12-15 of these every single round I’ve watched him play, and when the putter gets hot, he just wins. The fact that he’s barely off the pace without stuffing a bunch of wedges, and without draining a ton of putts is encouraging. Because he’s going to have some great runs with both of those clubs, and the trophies are going to follow.

We’re going to touch a lot more on this in the wrap-up podcast, but this tournament has been very different than what we were expecting. Going in, I thought a vibe similar to Malaysia or South Korea could be expected. Small crowds, no real vibe on site, etc. The official attendance number pegged it at about 25,000 people in attendance on Friday, and there was definitely a buzz akin to some mid-tier events in the states.

There’s food trucks everywhere, ex-pats getting LIT at Friday Brunch (which is apparently a big thing here), and no shortage of fan experience zones on site (TopGolf Crush, bean bag chairs, a giant terrace outside the clubhouse, etc.). I’m not sure if that vibe translates to TV, but that’s definitely not the impression the coverage portrays.

While there are certainly some monetary benefits to be had (*cough cough*), the field strength is attributable to much more than just that, especially as the tournament only receives eight exemptions beyond the European Tour criteria, three of which are used for UAE-tied golfers. The city is an actual oasis, and there’s not that many places that have weather this spectacular in the middle of January. On top of that, the players get treated like royalty, the food is standout, and the golf course is in perfect shape.

Abu Dhabi is about 90% expats, but the natives possess incredible pride for their city. Additionally, many of the expats that live in Abu Dhabi are keenly interested to hear about our impressions of the city and the vibe. Again, we’ll expand on all of this a lot more in the podcast.

Bryson about lost it on the 10th hole today. After a semi chubby chip, he let out quite a loud “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!” before overhanding his ball at his caddie at a speed that I would have ducked out of the way before sticking my hand out. The smack against his caddie’s palm sounded like a Verlander fastball hitting the mitt.

For those that say they don’t believe in love at first sight, I’m going to assume you’ve never seen Kiradech in person.

Graeme McDowell is the man. After missing the cut, he stuck around, told stories, laughed, and signed autographs for kids.

Got the chance to personally thank Martin Kaymer for the spring of 2014 (Players Championship at 80/1, US Open at 40/1). When I told him that I owed him a beer, he didn’t think that would sufficiently pay off the debt.

We got to go on the roof of the clubhouse, directly next to the falcon head. More to come on that front.

Dispatch from the Desert, Round 2

Soly and I made the trek to the UAE for this week’s Euro Tour stop in 

mostly out of curiosity. I’d never been to the Middle East nor to a European Tour event prior to yesterday, hence this was a great opportunity to gain some perspective on the game beyond the confines of North America and to get up close and personal with the best clubhouse on the planet. Once we saw the list of players in the field this week it was a no-brainer.

 what an impact position on 18 in the pro-am today. 

Having quit my job last week to go full-time with NLU I am perhaps overly conscientious of the lens through which I am viewing the events of this week (and moving forward for that matter), and careful to separate access, favor and recency from reality. That being said, let’s dive in:

Always tough to get enthused about press conferences – players get asked the same questions from a rotating cast of journalists searching for quotes to edify the theme they’ve already chosen to write about. However, in the couple of years I’ve been attending these things, Rory McIlroy’s been a different case. He toes a line that I’ve seen from few golfers: simultaneously vulnerable yet confident, savvy without being jaded. Ten years into his career he seems unfazed by the “gotcha” moments that befall open and honest admissions (see: Tiger’s GQ article or the fervor generated by Rory’s recent news of a heart condition), content to proceed as a relatively normal human who possesses inhuman golf skills. Add to that a three month hiatus and there was much to discuss after having some time to reflect: the ups and downs of 2017, the aforementioned (overblown) cardiac news, and the promise of a new season ahead in 2018.

I first met Rory at last year’s PGA at Quail Hollow. He seemed weary and beaten down by the rash of injuries, equipment upheaval, the new and welcome realities of marriage, and the ancillary distractions (playing with Trump, caddie change, etc. ) that came his way in 2017. A month later I met an even more run-down version of him at the BMW Championship in Chicago. During the two part podcast he recorded with NLU he offered an air of resignation that this year was meant to be one of transition and that he was playing out the string to fulfill his professional obligations to the fullest (see: his appearances at the Dunhill and British Masters after the BMW).

“Honestly, I was excited to be done,” said Rory. “I could have shut it down after the PGA last year very easily and taken the rest of the year off, but I didn’t. I played five events after that. Played okay. I had a chance to win one of them. But I was just excited to take that time off and reset.”

He then went into the toll the injuries took on him mentally:

“Didn’t really practice much between tournaments, because I couldn’t. So that mentally gets you because every time you turn up at an event, you don’t feel prepared. You don’t feel like you’ve done enough work to be ready and then even if you do get yourself in contention, almost feel a bit guilty that you’re there because you haven’t done the work.”

With that context, Rory’s mindset here in Abu Dhabi seems to be one of rejuvenation. He spoke excitedly about the sabbatical he was able to enjoy after last season, the perspective gained from stepping away, and the season ahead. He enters the 2018 season 11th in the world (lowest he’s entered a year since 2008) and several times made particular note of the fact that he’s now entering the second decade of his career. 

, I promised myself I would take it slow and not get sucked in by the hype – too late, totally sucked. I feel like an NFL writer saying that “so-and-so” is entering camp in the best shape of his life.” (For the record he’s actually gained two kilos)

On the subject of his health it sounds like the heart thing is totally overblown and turned into a prime opportunity for click-bait during the slow season. He also indulged everyone in some Tiger-like jargon around blood profiles (turns out his Omega-3 and Omega-6 ratios were out of whack – he’ll be standing in the hall of fame next week in Dubai, which should help on that front) and heart testing (I know what a T-wave is now).

Long story short, it’ll probably take a few weeks to knock off the rust completely, but I think we’re in for a treat. He’s scheduled for 25 events between starting now and ending with the Ryder Cup, and then whatever he plays beyond that. Between the #reps, the stability, the perspective and the foundation that married life provides I couldn’t be more excited to see what’s on tap. Get the wedges and butter knife dialed in and it’s game on.

 was awarded the Seve Trophy, which is the European Tour’s Player of the Year honor and was quite taken by it. The achievement is doubly impressive considering he got married, had a kid, and had a bananas travel schedule. Despite his success in the states at Erin Hills and at the WGC Mexico he’s still vastly underrated stateside and is right back at it this week, setting the pace in the morning wave with a first-round 66 and hitting all 18 greens in the process.

 (he’s like Spencer Levin minus 20 pounds, its uncanny) and 

We’ll say it a dozen more times this week and I’m working on a piece regarding the structure of the European schedule and the ascent of the Abu Dhabi stop in particular, but the 

 is silly. Pieters, Kuchar, DJ, Casey, Fleetwood, Rory, Rose, Stenson, Kaymer, plus all the usually underrated Euro Tour suspects (Frittelli, Dunne, Uncle Joost, Zanotti, RCB, etc.)

The differences between the PGA Tour and the European Tour aren’t outwardly stark, but the more you dig in the more you catch. The whole scene is a 

, confirming that at the end of the day that it’s 

. The ease of rules and regulations, the convivial atmosphere in the media center, the fascinating Sky Sports team and the variety of nationalities and backgrounds in the field all add up to an interesting menagerie.

 yesterday for awhile yesterday – WAY IN. More to come on that front.

With regard to the course – I was pleasantly surprised (desert golf typically not my cup of tea) – aside from the obvious mint conditioning an interesting takeaway was the lack of drainage and catch-basins, especially around greens. When it rains six inches per year there’s not much need. The 

 of the par-3 15th, big dogleg par-4 16th and 17th holes and then the par-5 18th add up to a stellar championship closer.

 on the grounds (no disrespect intended to the BMW SA Open last week) – players look refreshed and glad to be back on the grind to begin anew.

Played in the pro-am with Branden Grace yesterday – thoroughly enjoyable round even beyond the ball-striking fiesta. I’m always intrigued to meet caddies and talk about their craft and their story. 

 – very direct, experienced and earnest guy. 

Here’s Jim McCabe from a few years ago with the backstory.

The trip over was relatively uneventful – left JAX at 5:40am, connected thru JFK, braved a long layover and then flew overnight from there. Big shoutout to Etihad for A) the live television, enabling Sunday NFL playoff viewing over the Atlantic (DUUUUUVAL!; also Dan Fouts was shockingly bad on the call – his skills are deteriorating rapidly). The flight path yielded some interesting flyover locales and hammered home the central location of Abu Dhabi within the Middle East. I looked at the map, saw a bunch of upheaval and then walked off the plane into one of the safest places I’ve ever been, almost startlingly so.

We arrived late morning and stayed awake through the afternoon and evening we ate a ton of hummus and then booked an off-roading adventure through the desert to stave off the jet-lag. When we opened the curtains on Tuesday morning a thick fog had enveloped the city and the scene was more reminiscent of San Francisco than the desert. The Sheikh Zayed Mosque figures prominently in the skyline in the area of the city where we’re staying and our hotel looks out across the canal at it – spectacular structure.

Calling it a night. Will have some written 

 around a variety of subjects coming tomorrow and Friday, namely: Rory, EuroTour takes, and some takeaways around the trajectory of this event on the world stage. 

Being a (former) hotelier I am always keen to see the local hotel scene – this one does not disappoint. Made it to the Fairmont, Ritz and Shangri-La thus far. A few people have reached out on twitter to recommend a trip over to the Palace hotel – will report back. Soly and I have been on site the past few days and have not had the occasion to explore the city much, so we’re headed out there this afternoon. Also heard the Friday brunch scene is en fuego here, so will check that out tomorrow and report back.

Dispatch from the Desert, Round 1

As you’ve probably seen, Soly and Tron are deep in the Middle East scene this week. They flew over to check out the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship presented by EGA. Based on the footage they’ve sent me, they appear to be fitting in great.

I’ll be navigating you through an abbreviated preview this week since there is much #content to be made from Abu Dhabi and elsewhere.

Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship presented by EGA

The biggest reason for those two making the trip to Abu Dhabi is that the field is absolutely monstrous for Euro Tour’s first marquee event of 2018. DJ, Rory, Rose, Fleetwood, Stenson, Casey, Kuchar, Kaymer, Bryson!

Here are a few cool stats from the tournament team:

The 2018 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA, by the numbers…





— Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship (@ADGolfChamps) 

Those two will have much more throughout the week about the vibe on the ground at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, starting with 

yesterday’s podcast with Matt Fitzpatrick

Maybe the most interesting thing to me about this event – besides the clubhouse (s/o Big Randy) – is the rivalry it seems to have with the Euro Tour’s Dubai stop. The field is already as good or better and it will be interesting to see what happens as the city continues to explode with development.

Tron played the Pro-Am on Wednesday and offered this review: “I was pleasantly surprised. It’s far from offensive. The fairways are narrow, the rough is rather nasty/sticky for a desert course, and there’s some nuance, especially with shallow bunkers and long, broad slopes on greens. Doglegs on fleek, greens are firm and fast. Put simply it’s a good championship course on a flat piece of land and comes off a lot better in person than it does on TV (where it looks very Faz-ish). I’d compare it to Phoenix, minus 17 (no short fours here). The closing stretch of 15-18 is primo.”

The Bob Hope Humana CareerBuilder seems to me to have a bit of an identity crisis.

It’s a throwback to the old Tour pro-am, but while the Pebble Beach event seems to be picking up steam with new stars and celebs committing each year (shout out to Spieth and the McRib 

), the event in Palm Springs seems to be more low-energy (Jeb!) than ever.

 in 2009, the event leaned on Arnold Palmer for a couple years before pivoting to the Clinton Foundation to steady the ship. Over the past decade this event has seemed to flounder. Long buoyed by it’s history with Bob Hope, it’s now in desperate need of some self-awareness to stem the bleeding.

Part of the laid-backitude of the event is by design; things tend to just be a little slower in Palm Springs. But when years go by without any juice it becomes a trend, and from a fan’s perspective that’s a tough sell. Let’s go, Jags.

There are bright spots, of course. Phil is making his 2018 debut at a place where Phil Mania is still at an all-time high. Jon Rahm is playing and will probably make about 65 birdies. Peter Uihlein is there and past champ Patrick Reed will be all decked out in Nike, which will be weird and fun and sartorially irresponsible as the season progresses. (Side note: remember when he shot three straight 63’s at this event? 

!). I’m also weirdly amped about Corey Pavin being in the field. If you like following the crop of young guys, this is always a good breakout spot for them (see: HUDson Swafford’s win last year).

However, it starts to get pretty bleak past those names. Mike Weir and John Daly are in a featured group, which feels like kind of a good metaphor.

 As one player told me this week, the courses are “uhh… in great 

 condition.” The event takes place across three different courses, the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West is the main venue where the final round is contested, while the pro-am portion also utilizes PGA West’s Nicklaus Course and La Quinta CC. The courses typically play slow and lush, but the greens are pristine – the perfect combo for crazy-low scores.

It’s a good event for photography – no matter your opinion of the golf courses, it’s pretty striking to see them against the backdrop of the mountains. I also can get down with watching the amateurs try to hit out of the bunker on 16.

 (@pgatour) on Jan 17, 2018 at 11:52am PST

 on the design of PGA West and the snowflake Baby Boomers who made them move the tournament to a different venue after a year.

 this week has to do with the ongoing strike of Golf Channel camera and technical workers. 

Martin Kaufman at Golfweek gives a great update

 of where the issue stands after talks again broke down Tuesday, including a very Death Star-sounding quote from a GC spokesperson: “Our contingency plans are fully operational.”

I’ve definitely tried to opt out of which side is right or wrong, mostly because issues like this typically just default to your personal opinions on politics, unions, etc. But purely from a golf fan’s perspective, it’s pretty wild to think about what the next two weeks could look like. I can’t think of anything more difficult from a production standpoint than televising an already boring tournament spread across three different courses. The CareerBuilder telecast could be brutal.

And if things are still not resolved next week, we could have a back-up team covering Tiger’s return to Torrey Pines. Strange times.

 about polarizing John Peterson, who is considering walking away from golf if he doesn’t fulfill his major medical this year. There’s plenty to criticize about Peterson, but I’m pretty in on a lot of the stuff he’s saying here. I’m sure his outlook will change when/if he starts playing better, but I’ll take him at his word for now.

No one can blame him for wanting to trade in the travel of grinding on Tour for time at home with his wife and young son. If I had the means, I’d very likely do the same thing. That’s why Lorena Ochoa is the GOAT.

“I’ve never been in a better spot lifestyle-wise than I am right now, so that probably has a lot to do with it. My wife’s here. My boy’s here. My in-laws are here. I’ve got eight events to make $350,000. If I do, great. If I don’t, who cares? I’m just out here free-wheeling it. I’ve got 32 rounds, and we’ll see what happens.”

 our boys Brendan Porath and Kyle Robbins 

. While Riviera is one of the best events of the year, I tend to lean toward the camp that thinks the West Coast Swing is just the slightest bit overrated (tbh, I think everything is probably a little overrated).

Tiger’s presence has been tricking people for 15 years into thinking Torrey Pines is exciting when it’s really a fairly boring course with great views and an average field. 

(Tron’s note: Torrey stinks, it’s Firestone on the Pacific Ocean; anti-strategic golf that under-utilizes a spectacular setting in near criminal fashion.)

 Phoenix is OK and, as mentioned above, I love the energy that’s making its way to the Pebble event 

(even if that energy won’t make it’s way to the telecast)

. But Brendan and Kyle cover the whole stretch with much more insight and humor. Dive in.

Weekly Briefing: Abu Dhabi/Palm Springs

Sunday’s Golf Channel broadcasts will be “significantly impacted” by the fallout of a labor dispute between the network and its live tournament technicians union, according to several sources contacted by No Laying Up. The impact is already being seen on the Web.com Tour coverage and it remains to be seen how the Sony Open telecast will be affected.

Camera operators and technical crew belonging to the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) union have been in negotiations with Golf Channel over compensation, as well as concerns with audio and utility issues, according to sources within Golf Channel and other people familiar with the situation. After threatening a work stoppage earlier this week, the strike became official Sunday morning, leaving the 11 a.m. Web.com Tour broadcast in the Bahamas with a skeleton crew of non-union workers. After opening the disjointed telecast in the GC studio with Damon Hack and Paige Mackenzie talking over seemingly nonspecific highlights, the broadcast picked up coverage from on-site, obviously with a lack of cameras; coverage was seemingly limited to distant locked down shots and tower shots from the 13th and 14th holes.

A picket line is already set up outside Waialae CC.

The IATSE has not responded to an email request for comment. Golf Channel issued the following statement:

Golf Channel has been working on negotiating an agreement for nine months with a union that represents our live tournament technicians. Those efforts have not yet yielded a resolution, and we looking forward to reaching a mutually agreeable contract. However, some technicians have chosen to walk off the job today. We have contingency plans in place, and will continue to deliver coverage. Thank you to our viewers for the patience.

The PGA Tour issued the following message to players:

Here was the message communicated to the field at the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic 

The main question now is how this will affect coverage of the Sony Open. Similar to the Web Tour telecast, it appears the plan is to assemble a crew of non-union production workers to carry out the telecast. Without the union camera operators, the telecast would likely be limited to a small number of roving cameras. It would be a far cry from the large number of both roving and tower cameras that are customary in a broadcast.

The AP’s Doug Ferguson also reported that tee times have been moved up as a result of the strike.

Earlier start today at the Sony is because of a strike. No, not a missile. Camera/audio techs that do GC events walked out today over contract negotiations.



— Doug Ferguson (@dougferguson405) 

Golf Channel came on the air by addressing the labor dispute, offering the following statement and confirming a scaled-back broadcast team:

We are focusing on the final groups and final holes tonight because some technicians walked out on the job earlier today. Similar events happened at other tournaments in the Bahamas and Orlando. Our teams at the Web.com Tour and the Diamond Resorts Invitational did a great job. Our team here is ready to do our best.

A source familiar with the dispute offered the document below, which outlines the union’s complaints and goals.

While it’s impressive and admirable that Golf Channel was able to get any kind of broadcast on the air with a skeleton crew, there has been a noticeable in difference in Sunday’s coverage. The audio commentary is being pulled from the analysts in the Orlando studio rather than the normal on-site crew. Fewer cameras have led to long, lingering shots instead of the typical quick cuts moving all around the course. That, combined with large chunks of the broadcast that were presented without natural sound made things feel extra flat. There was also a noticeable lack of graphics and tower shots seem to be limited to the final three holes.

Operating one of those cameras: On-course analyst Jerry Foltz.

Haha, Jerry Foltz is running one of the tower cameras. What a time to be alive. 

Writing

Introducing the No Laying Up Message Board: The Refuge

Friday Feels: Torrey

Weekly Briefing: Farmers Open/Dubai Desert Classic

Abu Dhabi: Weekend Update

Dispatch from the Desert, Round 2

Dispatch from the Desert, Round 1

Weekly Briefing: Abu Dhabi/Palm Springs

Golf Channel telecasts impacted by union strike

Sony Open: Hawaiian Briefing

Thinking about Tiger and Star Wars

Interview: Artist Lee Wybranski

Cruden Bay

Why You Should Subscribe to The Golfer's Journal

What it's like to watch someone debate the fate of your muni

Notes From the Field, CJ Cup: Part II

Notes From the Field, CJ Cup

Notes From the Field, CIMB Classic: Part II

Notes from the Field: CIMB Classic