Just over two years after longtime sportswriter Kevin Van Valkenburg took the bold step of joining digital golf media startup No Laying Up, the two sides are parting ways.
Van Valkenburg, who has served as the editorial director for No Laying Up since 2023, announced his departure in a social media post on Monday, stating that he would be pursuing other full-time opportunities after the company decided to make a change.
“Hello friends. A few weeks ago, the partners at NoLayingUp let me know they wanted to make a change and move forward without me as full-time member of the team. I decided I needed to pursue full-time opportunities, and they of course understood. So we are parting,” Van Valkenburg’s statement read. “I’m proud of the work we did together, and grateful for the stories we told. I know they are too. They shared their massive platform with me, and we did a lot of great stuff.”
No Laying Up confirmed the news in a subsequent social media post.
“We’re thankful for KVV’s time at NLU and proud of the work we did together. Wishing him all the best on what’s ahead, and hope to collaborate again in the future,” the company wrote.
Van Valkenburg began his career as a reporter for The Baltimore Sun before joining ESPN as a senior writer in 2012, where he contributed stories for ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com until 2023.
Van Valkenburg quickly became one of the most respected voices in golf media after joining No Laying Up, frequently blending his personal connection to the game with insightful and authoritative coverage of the world’s top players and venues. Under his editorial direction, No Laying Up continued to grow into one of the top digital media companies in the sport.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.