TrapDraw Podcast – No Laying Up

Big week! It's the last major of 2020 and the women are in Houston for the US Open. As they already did a Houston "preview", Tron and Randy venture just outside of town and land in Waco. Their guest is Professor Dan Walden of the Baylor University English Department. Dr. Dan is a great sport, talking about how he ended up teaching English, what his time in Waco has been like, and the experiences of going through a rather public, infamous scandal at his University. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy Thanksgiving! This is a crazy year, so we hope everybody is able to be safe, relax, and enjoy it as much as possible. If you're looking for something to watch, TNT will be airing The Match: Champions for Change on Friday, November 27th at 3pm eastern. Turner Sports' Brian Anderson joins Randy to talk about the Match, what viewers can expect, what's new from previous iterations, and more. Additionally, Randy asks Brian about his experience in the NBA's bubble, the challenges of broadcasting live sports in a COVID-safe manner, and if Phil has a future in broadcasting. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No Masters hangover here. The Tour heads to coastal Georgia so Tron and Randy get Panther Mike on the phone to talk all things Sea Island. Who is Panther Mike? Why does he always get shoutouts on NLU content? Great questions, ones that gets answered within the episode. Also, you may learn a thing or two about the jewel of the Golden Isles. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Masters week so we're talking Augusta, Georgia! Joining Tron and Randy to discuss his home town is the man affectionately known as McSchvantz on our message board, The Refuge. A native of Augusta, McSchvantz gives us his perspective on the city, including what it was like every April when the tournament rolled around. We ask him about the Savannah River Site, Augusta's rivalry with Aiken, the Pro Disc Golf Scene, and much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Houston guest is ESPN's Bomani Jones. Bomani spent a large chunk of his childhood in Houston and talks about what that was like. He compares Houston to other places he's lived and what makes it unique. Also, Randy asks about his background in Economics, teaching college, and they get into some basketball-related subjects, specifically around James Harden. Fun fact too, Bomani blocked Tron on twitter years ago--we read the tweet and ask him if he'll reconsider. Check out Bomani's podcast, 'The Right Time with Bomani Jones', as well as across a number of ESPN platforms. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tron and Randy are joined by bestselling author and senior writer at ESPN, Wright Thompson. Wright discusses his new book, "Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things that Last" which drops November 10th. In addition to discussing the new book, the guys get into a wide variety of topics about the craft of writing, Wright's path into sports journalism, and life in general. Check out his new book and enjoy our conversation! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sunny SoCal! TC and Randy welcome Travis Rodgers on this week. Travis currently works for ESPN 710 in LA. Prior to that he had his own show, Travis Rodgers NOW, and prior to that was a producer on the Jim Rome Show for nearly 15 years. Travis grew up in the greater Los Angeles area before attending UC Santa Barbara on a baseball scholarship. It's a humungous treat to talk to somebody who played such a large role in something (the Jim Rome Show) so important to us. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vegas, baby! Tron and Randy do a bit of catching up before speaking with the Desert Duffer (that's an alias), friend of the program and Las Vegas resident. The Duffer shares what he knows about the city, including how to get the good bourbon at casinos, what restaurants to visit, and how not to get soaked if you want to play some golf. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Donnybrook, NLU's second annual event from Pinehurst Resort, was last weekend. As part of the festivities, DJ, Neil and Randy recorded a live podcast from the veranda outside The Deuce overlooking the 18th hole of Pinehurst #2. Neil talks about his karmic road rage incident on the drive down, the Strapped boys compete in a Newlywed game, and the group answers a few questions from listeners. As always, we had a wonderful time at Pinehurst and thank them for their hospitality. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back! After a short hiatus, Randy and TC are back to preview the Sanderson Farms this week in Jackson, Mississippi. They do a bit of the usual house-cleaning before welcoming on special guest, Mr. Bunkie Perkins (of twitter fame). Bunkie, besides being a friend of the program, is a lawyer by training, a former college athletic administrator and AF2 GM, and current wildcatter who proudly graduated from Ole Miss. He shares what he knows about the Magnolia State. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 100! What a world! In this one DJ and Randy unpack their trip last week to Branson, Missouri. Neither one had ever been to Big Cedar Lodge, let alone the Ozarks, but thanks to the fine folks at KemperLesnik were invited out to attend the grand opening of Payne's Valley, Tiger Woods' first public golf course design. To commemorate the occasion, the Payne's Valley Cup was contested between Team USA (Tiger and Justin Thomas) and Team Europe (Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy). This episode explores the three-day trip, from the match, to playing Ozarks National, Mountain Top and Payne's Valley, and finally some interesting happenings off the course. It was certainly an experience. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professional tennis is rolling right from the US Open into the French Open. As such, there is no better time to catch up with ESPN's Grand Slam tennis host, Chris McKendry. Chris broke into television sports journalism in the early 90s, made her way to ESPN's Sportscenter a few years later and served as an anchor on that show for 20 years. She now hosts grand slam tennis. She discusses her love of tennis, breaking into sports media, hosting Sportscenter, and all of Randy's various inquiries into tennis and its stars. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The US Open is at Winged Foot in Westchester County so Tron and Randy brought on somebody that knows a thing or two about golf in the area--Wally Szczerbiak. Besides being a fellow alumnus of Miami University, Wally is an avid golfer, currently serving as commissioner of the hallowed Professional Leisure Tour. Before that, he enjoyed a 10-year NBA career, making the 2002 All-Star team. We picked Wally's mind about the best golf around metro New York City, where his passion for golf developed, and much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The ANA Inspiration this week will be the LPGA's second major. As such, what better time for Randy to check in with Golfweek's Beth Ann Nichols. The two put a bow on the Women's Open, peek ahead to the ANA, and discuss many other players and issues in the women's game. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a special one. Spencer Hall (@edsbs on twitter) joins Tron and Randy to talk all about Atlanta. Spencer is one of, if not *the* inspiration for No Laying Up. What he and his friends did talking about college football served as inspiration for us to approach golf in a similarly fun, educational, and irreverent vein. We get in to all different aspects of Atlanta with Spencer and hope you enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Things get a bit windy this week as our attention turns to Chicago. Tron and Randy are joined by Joe B., Randy's childhood friend, Chicago resident, and general menace. JB tells tales from high school and college, and then shares his opinions on Chicago, his home for the last decade and a half. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're headed to the Northeast this week! The tournament is in the Boston area so who better to talk to than a man who did a lot of work there. Danny Woodhead, NFL veteran, former Patriot, and avid golfer joins Randy and TC to chop it up. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You many not know much about Greensboro, NC, but that's about to change. A city rich in history, famous denizens, culture, and nicknames, we promise you'll learn a lot from our guest, Greensboro's own Jim Dodson. Jim is a renowned golf author, former newspaperman, and current regional arts magazine magnate. He's a fantastic storyteller, with loads of knowledge on golf, Greensboro, and much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the PGA Championship at Harding Park this week it's a great excuse to catch up with the Merch Czar, Neil Schuster, former resident of San Francisco about all things Bay Area. Neil lived on the West Coast for over 5 years and shares his insights and opinions. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're headed to the Home of the Blues, Graceland, FedEx, and a gigantic pyramid--Memphis, Tennessee! There was only one man we could talk to this week, and that's CBS Sports's Kyle Porter. He joins Tron and Randy in the back half of the episode to discuss how he made a name for himself this time last year. Plus there's discussion on several things in Memphis and a few things outside of Memphis. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is Part 2 of Tron and Randy's conversation with renowned chef, Ming Tsai. He details his best bite ever, we chat about his golf game, and much more. Be sure to check out Part 1 from last week too. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're off to the land of 10,000 lakes! It's Twin Cities week and Tron and Randy brought in The Ringer's Megan Schuster to talk about her hometown. From the sports scene to the arts scene, and of course so much in between, we learn all about Minneapolis/St. Paul. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tron and Randy are joined by Chef Ming Tsai to talk about his culinary adventures and so much more. Besides owning and operating several award-winning restaurants, Chef Tsai currently hosts 'Simply Ming' on PBS. Prior to that, he hosted 'East Meets West' on Food Network, and has appeared on 'Iron Chef' and 'Top Chef'. Ming's story is so much fun, and his energy infectious. This episode is Part 1 of 2. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A city so nice for tournament golf they're playing it twice. Hell yeah we're running back Columbus. Some mea culpas for Tron and Randy to issue, new ground to explore, and then a wide-ranging interview with the one, the only, RC3. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joining the show is baseball play-by-play man for the San Francisco Giants, Dave Flemming. In addition to his work for the Giants, Dave does football, basketball, baseball and golf for ESPN. Randy and Dave discuss the return to baseball coming up towards the end of July, what to make of the format and rule changes, and much more about Dave's baseball background. They also get into golf (you won't believe a stat Dave casually tosses out about his game), and much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tron and Randy invite Soly in to talk about Ohio's capital, Columbus. Soly was born and raised in Dublin, home to Muirfiled Village Golf Club and host of the next two PGA Tour events. The guys get steep on a number of topic, including Buck Tech and their football fans, the local food and golf scenes, and who makes the better ice cream--Jeni's or Graeter's? Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ESPN's Bonnie Ford joins the show to discuss her career in sports journalism. She shares how she got started, the best advice she received, and gets into her work along the way. One of Bonnie's areas of expertise is doping in sports, and she shares valuable thoughts on the persistent fight to curb it. She talks about how she has covered fourteen iterations of the Tour de France, getting into the logistical web of the event, plus what it was like to report on the Lance Armstrong story. Finally, she speaks about one of the most difficult, yet rewarding, stories she's worked on involving a biathlete named Kari Swenson. All this and much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the first half of the episode Tron and Randy muse about Detroit, touching on everything from the Ambassador Bridge to the Underwear Bomber. In the second half of the episode, Randy chats with 101.9 WDET Senior News Editor, Quinn Klinefelter about his twenty-plus years living and working in Detroit, and how its past has shaped the city it is today. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joining Randy on this episode is Golf Channel's Damon Hack. You no doubt know Damon as a co-host of 'Morning Drive' but do you know how he got into professional golf? Damon discusses his path into both picking up the game and eventually covering the game as a journalist. At the beginning of June, Damon wrote a very powerful piece on golfchannel.com entitled, "Can I Be Both Thankful and Horrified? Can I?" He shares the thoughts and emotions which went into that piece, as well as other valuable insights into the state of golf, and society. We can't thank Damon enough for his time and willingness to speak openly about his story. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The PGA Tour rolls into Hartford, CT for the Travelers Championship this weekend. Tron and Randy dive into the history of Hartford, why it's the insurance capital of the world, highlight some famous Hartfordians (Hartfordites?), and then chop it up with Connecticut local, and ESPN veteran, John Buccigross. Find out why Tron slept in his car in Hartford, why the Whalers moved south, and much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We continue our preview series taking a look this week at Hilton Head Island, and specifically Harbour Town. Tron and Randy are joined by DJ and Neil to reminisce about the Island, their fondest memories, and much more. Also, the last 20 minutes of the episode is an interview with Gregg Russell, Harbour Town institution, who's been playing guitar and entertaining visitors for over 40 years. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of the TrapDraw features Lakareber Abe, professional golfer on the LPGA's Symetra Tour. Turning pro in 2018 after an excellent career at Alabama, Lakareber has one of the more unique backgrounds in golf. She's the daughter of Ugandan-American parents, her father getting into golf after coming to the States and eventually passing that passion onto Lakareber and her sister. She details this journey into golf, from beginnings to the professional level, reflects on the 2018 NCAA Championships, and so much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TC and Randy are bringing back the spirit of the old, written weekly previews! First up is the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial in Ft. Worth, TX. Just as the most fun and amusing aspects of the previews were the things ancillary to golf, so too is that the case with this podcast. To help educate and entertain about all things Plex, we are joined by The Commish, DFW expert. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy is joined by veteran Formula 1 reporter Will Buxton to discuss the sport, his history with it, and catch up on current events. On the heels of our Perfect Club episode (Ep 74) a couple weeks back, and the amazing reception it received, we really wanted to get a bit more in-depth with Will--and he does not disappoint! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy is joined by veteran broadcaster Brian Anderson. Brian currently works for Turner Sports calling NBA basketball and postseason baseball, as well as handling play-by-play duties for Milwaukee Brewers television broadcasts. This Sunday, May 24th, he'll be the lead announcer for The Match on TNT featuring Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. The two discuss this weekend's event along with Brian's experiences in broadcasting, from getting his start in minor league baseball to interviewing Greg Popovich as sideline reporter with the San Antonio Spurs, plus much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a Perfect Club with Tron, Neil and Randy! The trio discuss their enjoyment of the Netflix series, "Formula 1: Drive to Survive". There are currently two seasons chronicling the 2018 and 2019 race campaigns, respectively. Among other topics touched upon are favorite personalities, favorite/least favorite drivers, best tracks, teams, and much, much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You're invited into the Reading Room for a conversation between Randy and New York Post sportswriter Brett Cyrgalis on his new book, "Golf's Holy War: The Battle for the Soul of a Game in an Age of Science". The two discuss Brett's background in writing and in golf before diving into a conversation about the book and its contents. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neil and Randy chop it up with NFL veteran offensive tackle, Andrew Whitworth. Along with being an All-Pro football player Andrew is an avid golfer during his offseason. They discuss the nature of his golf game, how a man of his stature (6'7 300+ lbs) goes about it, if he can relate to any PGA pros, and a lot more. And of course there's lots of football talk too--Coach Saban, the AFC North, blocking technique and schemes, Coach McVay, and more! Enjoy. (Note: there are 45 seconds where Andrew's phone cuts out just a bit at the 46:50 mark when discussing Carson Palmer--sorry for that inconvenience) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the culmination of both 'Strapped: Southern California' and the fundraiser to determine the location of the first post-lockdown 'Strapped' upon us, Neil, DJ and Randy discuss the show in its entirety. Included are favorites, least favorites, funny off-camera incidents and so much more, including numerous viewer-submitted questions. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Neil chats with some of our partners and friends across the golf landscape to get a first-hand perspective on how COVID-19 is impacting individuals and businesses. Here at NLU, we’ve postponed events, halted travel plans, and completely changed our content calendar, and we're not alone in that regard--this podcast puts into perspective how far reaching the impact has been for others in the golf industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen Dubner is best known for his 'Freakonomics' writing and podcasting. In addition to that, Stephen is a decorated journalist, father, and avid golfer. He joins Neil and Randy to talk about his initial path into golf, his ongoing frustrations with the game, and also how the 'Freakonomics' podcast came to be. The guys ask Stephen about the work that goes into his show, how he has transformed as a host, and the evolution of the podcast market in general. Many thanks to Stephen for the time, check out his 'Freakonomics' show if you don't already, and then be sure to search for him and his college band, The Right Profile! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a Perfect Club of sorts! The whole NLU crew is here discussing which PGA Tour golfers correspond to which characters from the television series, "The Wire". If you haven't watched it, it's available to stream for free right now and we highly recommend it. Let us know which assessments you agree with, which you don't, and who the biggest omissions are. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy is joined by ESPN basketball analyst, esquire, author, and avid golfer, Jay Bilas. The two talk hoops, college athletics, golf, and more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy is joined by the LPGA's Austin Ernst to discuss her golf career and a plethora of audience-submitted questions. Austin, 2011 NCAA National Champion for LSU, has been a mainstay on the LPGA since 2013 capturing her first career win at the 2014 Portland Classic. In 2017 she made her first Solheim Cup team and in 2018 finished runner-up at the Evian Championship. She opens up her golf game, her path to the LPGA Tour, and much more. Thanks to everybody who submitted questions! Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neil and Randy chop it up with Bob Sturm, Dallas-based journalist, radio personality and author. Besides being an avid golfer and NLU fan, for which we're grateful, Bob has spent nearly three decades in radio, currently co-hosting the Hardline show on The Ticket Sports Radio. Bob regales us with an assortment of stories from his time in the business, including a few featuring the infamous Scoops Callahan! Bob is full of life and has great energy, this was a really fun conversation. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perfect Club time! The Carter Brothers, Tron and Neil, are joined by Mr. Poosh (aka Micah Pueschel of Iration) to analyze not only what makes a good '90s action flick but also what their favorite offerings in the genre are. As the world continues in quarantine, we hope this episode both informs and entertains about the '90s action movie, and maybe even provides an idea or two for future movie nights. Enjoy! Todays' pod sponsor is Riomarshoes.com. Use code: TD15 for 15% off at checkout on your first pair of Riomar shoes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randy, DJ and Neil are joined for an evening by the inimitable Michael Bamberger. Michael is a writer for GOLF Magazine and Golf.com, as well as author of several books. The first portion of this podcast explores his new book, "The Second Life of Tiger Woods". The second half of the podcast gets weirder and looser as the guys talk about more broad subjects of life. Michael's book, out today, is absolutely sensational, as was the time spent with him. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A special follow up to our Perfect Club episode about "The King of Kong" (Episode 61)! Randy, DJ, and Neil interview the documentary's star, Donkey Kong world record setter, Steve Wiebe. They discuss how the film came to be, if Steve wanted to punch Brian Kuh, and a whole host of things. Steve is teaching high school up in Washington and among other things is the varsity golf coach, having guided his squad to a state championship! We can't thank Steve enough for his time and patience answering our questions, and special shoutout to Sean Kato for the introduction. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's another Perfect Club! In this episode Randy, DJ and Neil watch the 2007 documentary, "The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters". The trio reveal their favorite scenes, the best quotes, and compare the main characters to professional golfers (among other things). If you have not seen the documentary we would encourage you to watch it before listening. It's available on YouTube in its entirety, as well as select streaming and rental services. We hope you have as much fun watching and listening as we did. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Tron and Randy are joined by the LPGA's Megan Khang. Megan discusses her and her family's remarkable, and unlikely, path into the game of golf. She talks about her beginnings as a small child with her father, a stellar amateur career, the decision about whether to attend college or turn professional, and much more. At just 22 years of age, it's easy to forget how young she still is, as she's been a mainstay on LPGA leaderboards for several years now, including competing on the 2019 Solheim Cup team. Enjoy! (Note: This interview was recorded in November 2019 at the LPGA Tour Championship) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices