Mark Baldwin is the quintessential golf grinder. He has been a touring pro for 16 years, chasing the dream across more than a dozen different tours. Now 38, with a young son at home, Baldwin is at a crossroads: he and his wife, Sarah, have decided that 2021 will be his last season unless he can finally break through. On Jan. 28, Baldwin received the golden ticket: a sponsor’s exemption into the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, setting off a madcap scramble to cash in on this priceless opportunity. For his caddie needs, he turned to his longtime wingman Ryan French, the bard of professional golf’s dreamers. Captured here is their ten-day odyssey, spanning their departure from Baldwin’s home in Phoenix through the preparations at Pebble to the thrills and challenges of the tournament rounds and then back again to Phoenix to try to qualify for the Waste Management Open. French wrote a daily diary and podcasted every night with Baldwin, and a variety of Fire Pit staffers were on hand to capture photos and video, led by the tireless Colt Knedler. Scroll through the week below for an intimate look at the glory of the grind of life in the big leagues.