“Everyone knows that Ben Hogan is one of - perhaps the - greatest ballstrikers in golf history. But did he ever shank it? Just once, maybe? Did Hogan even know what a shank is?”

“Is putting on the PGA Tour overrated? This incredible chart seems to suggest so,” is Alex Myers’ look at the recent revelation by Columbia professor Mark Broadie, who conceived of the strokes gained concept

Drive for show, putt for dough

“Steve Williams wonders whether Lydia Ko ‘hit panic button early’ in caddie change,” is John Strege’s comment on Lydia Ko’s decision to find a new caddie.

“When Woods announced Monday he was backing out of his entry into this week's Safeway Open, he said it was because of non-specific "vulnerabilities" in his game.” That’s from Matthew Rudy whose sub-heading reads, “It could be rust, nerves, physical issues or even

"I thought the set-up was incredibly weak… It was very much a pro-am feel in terms of the pin placements. They were all middle of the green,” said Justin Rose as quoted on BBC Sports.

Why such good putting?

“In 2015 by a one vote majority, the Albert-Eden Board voted to carve up Chamberlain Park,” and the news came to me as I enjoyed a pint with a few golf mates in a pub just down the road from the Chamberlain Park Golf Course.

“Palmer was James Dean in golf spikes back then. He had that rebel spirit over the ball, a go-for-broke style that made viewers lean into their TV sets.”
That’s from Randell Mell reporting on the death of the "King,” aka Arnold Palmer.

“To Lehman, who played on three Ryder Cup teams and served as Captain in 2006, “the par-5s seem to be the keys nearly every time with the U.S. Doing some research, we’ve figured out that the times we’ve gotten beat, we’ve gotten spanked on the par-5s.”

“Over more than 40 years, our perception of what golf is all about has changed. How has golf turned into this torture thing?”

“It's definitely not the finished article, but it's a big step in the right direction,” said McIlroy, who began the day six strokes off the lead.