A Caddie's Perspective

During the Father's Day blowout at the House of Whiffle that kept me from fully engaging in the final round of the 2010 U.S. Open, I had an interesting discussion with my sister-in-law. Though she's not a golfer, she was curious about the events unfolding on the TV in the kitchen (where I was in charge of the food preparation). In particular, she was asking about the role of the caddie: "Do the players have their own regular caddies, or do they have different ones every week?" Most full-time touring professionals have their own caddies who travel with them, I explained. Though they sometimes change from time to time.

     "Do they tell them which club to use?" Not exactly, but they do usually provide input. And certainly the yardages. A lot of it depends on the player, and how much he expects from the caddie, and what kind of a relationship the two of them have.

     "Is the caddie like a coach?" Well, a little bit, sometimes. They won't typically give the player advice on their swing, but they often help them read the green and make strategy decisions. More than anything – again, depending on the player – they're like an on-course sports psychologist. At least the good ones are.

     After the tournament, a couple of caddies got some extra attention in the press: Steve Williams, because of how Tiger Woods seemed to blame him, at least in part, for a couple of poor decisions made during Sunday's disappointing final round; and Bobby Brown (no, not that Bobby Brown), Dustin Johnson's caddie. Brown's role was notable because he had previously spent three years as a full-time caddie at Pebble Beach – and because Johnson had won the two previous AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am titles. Certainly, it seemed their combined experience at the famous course would help Johnson carry the day on Sunday.

     But, as we all now know, it was not to be. Johnson, who began the day with a three-shot lead, shot a disastrous 82 to finish in a tie for 8th. (Image: Johnson and Brown embrace after Johnson won the 2010 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am . Stuart Franklin/Getty Images, via Seattle Times.)

We don't know what Williams thinks about Tiger's comments or his final round (at least not yet, as far as I know). Tiger's long-time looper would likely go the way of Fluff Cowan if he spoke out. But we do know what Brown thinks, thanks to an insightful interview by Kevin Merfeld of the Monterey Herald. Here's just a taste, where Brown addresses the left-handed chip Johnson attempted from the deep greenside fescue on the second hole (where Johnson scored a triple bogey 7):

"I was a little bit shocked to see him go at that thing left-handed, because the first thing I thought he was going to do was take an unplayable, or chip it back into the bunker," Brown said. "It all happened so fast. I was about ready to say something, and he kind of told me to get out of the way and said, 'I got this.' At that point, you kind of get out of the way. Maybe next time I won't get out of the way. I'm not sure." [Hat tip: golf.com]

And there's the rub. How hard should a caddie push when he thinks his golfer is making a bad decision? If Jim "Bones" McCay had gotten his way at Augusta earlier this year, Phil Mickelson would have laid up on that now-famous 6-iron from the between the trees on 13. But Bones has been with Phil ever since he turned pro in 1992, and he knows by now just how hard to push – and when to step back and say, "OK, you're the boss, now give it a good rip!"

     In the Golf Channel documentary "Caddy for Life" (based on the book by John Feinstein), Tom Watson tells of a time when his long-time caddie Bruce Edwards cursed him out in the middle of the round. It seems a discouraged Watson was dithering about whether to go for it or lay up on a par-5. Edwards felt strongly that Watson should do the former – and that his golfer needed a good kick in the pants, as well! So Edwards read him the riot act (including a few expletives), threw Watson's 7-iron and 3-wood at his feet, and then stormed down the fairway with the bag, leaving Watson to make up his own dang mind. Again, it takes a special relationship for something like this to transpire – without a subsequent termination. (Image: Watson and Edwards. Martin/Getty Images, via newyorkdailynews.com)
     Maybe Brown should not have been so quick to "get out of the way" on the second hole. But it's impossible to say. If he had talked Johnson into trying something different, and it hadn't worked out, it might have rattled Johnson just as much. It's kind of a no-win situation: Caddies are often quick to get the blame but rarely get proper credit when they contribute to a win.

     Swing coach? No. Sports psychologist? Absolutely. Scapegoat? Sometimes. No doubt about it, a successful tour caddie is a special breed.

Note: As far as I can tell, "caddie" is the preferred spelling for the word describing a golfer's bag-toting assistant, though "caddy" is the spelling used in the title of Feinstein's book. Either is considered correct.

A Mountain-top Whiffle

A little something to help get us through those post-major doldrums ...

Hat tip: failblog.org

A "whiffle" is a post that's light or insignificant in nature and may have nothing to do with golf.

Tap-Ins

A few back-handed stabs at things that have caught my attention, at the U.S. Open and elsewhere ...

No Fourth First for #1. Boy, it's hard to know what to make of Tiger Woods these days. On Saturday, he looked like his old self. His second-shot approach on number 18, a big left-to-right bender around the fairway trees, was one for the archives. He looked poised to take charge on Sunday and claim his fourth U.S. Open title. But instead he looked as mortal as everyone else. So we know he still has it in him; he just can't seem to tap into it on demand these days.
     I also couldn't help but wonder if the prospect of a big win on Father's Day might have gotten into his head just a bit. On Saturday night, when it looked like he might just be able to win this thing, I found myself thinking, "Who will he hug?" His dad has passed on and his own kids are off with Elin somewhere, presumably. It's like that commercial where the kid makes a hole-in-one in the fading twilight, only to realize there was no one around to see it. Seldom does a man feel so alone as in the light of solitary glory.
     And you know what I wish? I wish he'd drop the dropped club routine when he hits a bad one. It just bugs me; strikes me as childish. It's like he wants us to know that he knows he hit a bad shot before we can figure it out for ourselves. He probably does without even really thinking about it, but it's unnecessary. But then, it's not an F-bomb. And with all he's going through, maybe we should just take what we can get.

No Sixth Second for #2. Was I the only kinda sorta hoping that if Phil Mickelson didn't win on Sunday that he would finish second? It would have been the sixth runner-up finish in the U.S. Open for the man who already holds the record at five. It sounds cruel, I know. And Phil himself was quoted after the tournament saying, "I'm glad it wasn't a second." But that would have been something, wouldn't it? It's the sort of quirky statistic I often find myself rooting for. But hey, it could have been worse. (Image: John Biever/Sports Illustrated, via golf.com)

Sweet T16. How 'bout them college kids, huh? My new favorite amateur, Illini star and NCAA champ Scott Langley, and Georgia Bulldog Russell Henley showed up a lot of veterans at Pebble Beach. Both shot +8 292 to tie for 16th place overall and share the low-amateur honors. It was just the third time in the last 30 years an amateur has finished in the top 20 at the U.S. Open, something never accomplished by Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson. They finished tied with Lee Westwood and Jim Furyk, and placed ahead of such notables as Sergio Garcia (+9), Angel Cabrera (+9), Tom Watson (+11), Kenny Perry (+12), Ryo Ishikawa (+12), Vijay Singh (+13), Stewart Cink (+13), Steve Stricker (+15), Camilo Villegas (+18), Zach Johnson (+22), and Rory McIlroy (MC), to name only a few.
     You can read more about Henley's performance here, about Langley's U.S. Open here, and read a Q&A with Langley here. 

Practice round at Erin Hills. In my previous post, I wrote that some feel the tiny town of Erin, home to Erin Hills golf course, is not up for hosting a major sporting even like the U.S. Open (Erin Hill was just awarded the 2017 event). On Sunday, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ran an article about the town's opportunity for a "practice round" when the course hosts the 2011 U.S. Amateur Championship. They're going to need it. Because if the lead photo is any indication, the most exciting thing going on in Erin these days is the daily father-son sweeping exhibitions at the local gas station.

Whiffling Straits at Whistling Straits. The Whiffler is excited to announce that he's been invited to take part in a golf outing at Whistling Straits next week. We'll be on the Irish Course, not the Straits Course (which is where the pros will play in August), but Pete Dye's less-famous Kohler gem will easily be the finest course I've ever played. Will Whiffling Straits be blogging about the Whistling Straits experience? Did a young Ben Hogan sleep in a sand trap in order to get the best caddie jobs early in the morning? (The answer is "yes.") (Image: The 6th at the Irish Course at Whistling Straits, golf.com)
      The occasion is the third annual golf outing for the Stacey Elizabeth Mayer Foundation, established two years ago to fund scholarships for students attending Capernwray Bible School in Carnforth, England. Stacey, 19, was a student there when she was killed in a car crash while home in Wisconsin for the summer in 2007. Her parents, Steve and Sue Mayer, are friends of ours and I'm proud to take part in such a worthwhile event.

Erin Hills Awarded 2017 U.S. Open

Here's what I know about the natural beauty in Erin, Wisconsin:

In many ways, Erin Hills is the antithesis of Whistling Straits. To craft the Straits, Pete Dye had literally thousands of truckloads of sand brought into what was basically wasteland by the lake transformed into a magically artificial landscape. What makes Erin Hills so amazing was how so little earth was moved. I liken it to Michaelangelo simply "revealing" a sculpture that God had already put inside a block of marble. Erin Hills was carved by glaciers; course architects Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry, and Ron Whitten merely exposed the course that God had put there. (Image: #7 at Erin Hills, Paul Hundley PhotoGraphic, via erinhills.com. Click to enlarge.)

It has an interesting and complicated history. Even though the course has only been open since 2006 (and only for part of that time – it's actually closed at the moment), it's already changed hands and undergone more than one renovation. Here is an excellent article from Golf Digest chronicling the drama. In a nutshell, the original owner, Bob Lang, ran out of money (and expertise, frankly) pursuing his dream to make the course suitable for a U.S. Open bid. Basically, the renovations the course is undergoing currently involve undoing many of the changes the overeager Lang made to bring the course up to snuff. Frankly, after reading this article the other day, I was a little surprised the USGA was still interested. But they must have faith in the current ownership (and in the site) that the course will be all it can be by June 2017. (Image: #3 at Erin Hills, Paul Hundley PhotoGraphic, via erinhills.com. Click to enlarge.)

Those church spires you see in the background in some pictures belong to the cathedral at the "Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians at Holy Hill" – better known simply as "Holy Hill." It's a pretty amazing place, visible for miles around. The grounds are open to the public and you can climb the tower for a breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape. In the fall it's absolutely stunning.

It's really off the beaten path and hidden away from view. I visited the course once last year while on a motorcycle ride. It was not easy to find. Even after I found it, it was not easy to discern there was a golf course there at all! I didn't have much time, so I didn't venture past the parking lot, but I did pause to take this picture by the simple four-plank sign out front. The top plank says "Welcome to Erin Hills." The second plank says "2008 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links." The third reads "2011 U.S. Amateur." And the fourth plank is said to be reserved for a future U.S. Open. I wonder how fast they'll fill it in? (Photo: The Whiffler)

Not everyone is happy about the Open coming. Because it's so out of the way, some of the locals are concerned that there aren't enough roads and other infrastructure to handle the crowds – or that they don't want the development that may come along with a U.S. Open. But I think the USGA is usually pretty savvy about this sort of thing – at least if John Feinstein's book "Open," about the U.S. Open coming to Bethpage Black for the first time is any indication. And the course is close enough to the Milwaukee metro area that there should be plenty of hotels, restaurants, etc. to accommodate everyone. And there's always my basement.

More later ...

Steve Stricker Wins U.S. Open!

Wishful thinking? Perhaps. But not outrageous thinking, by any means, in The Whiffler's estimation. Stricker winning the 2010 U.S. Open is certainly more likely to happen than for Tiger Woods to win by 15 strokes again, as he did 10 years ago, the last time the U.S. Open was played at Pebble Beach.
     In fact, here is a whole list of things that are more likely to happen in the next five days than Tiger winning by 15:

Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler could stage their own consolation tournament. Call it the "Coulda-Shoulda Cup." Among the invitees: Jordan Spieth, Corey Pavin, Tom Kite, J.B. Holmes, Lee Janzen, and Tony Romo, all of whom, to greater or lesser degrees of fanfare, failed to qualify for this year's event. Trophy: A blaze-orange sportcoat with a Union Jack pattern. First prize: $150 (the entry fee for a U.S. Open qualifier) and an honorary membership in the Vijay Singh fan club. (Image: golf.puma.com)

Rory McIlroy could win by 15. To clarify, these are not things I expect to happen. But Rory McIlroy has a better chance of blowing away the field this week than Tiger does. The young Irishman showed at Quail Hollow that he's not afraid to go low – and has the kind of game that can transcend the ordinary. Granted, he has some consistency issues (he's barely 21!), but if anyone in the field has the potential to heat up this week and run away with it, it's Rory. We've seen glimpses (but only glimpses so far) of his "A" game, and it's breathtaking.

The Monterey Peninsula could be invaded by vuvuzela-blowing World Cup soccer fans. Not likely, as they're all busy down in South Africa this week, thank goodness. But if any stray horn-blowers were to infiltrate the Pebble Beach proceedings, you can be certain that the USGA and its henchmen would clamp down on the unwelcome intruders faster than Steve Williams can grab a camera from your hands.

Ray Romano could break 80. By my calculation, Hank Haney is now 0-for-2 in his Golf Channel "projects," having failed to rehabilitate Charles Barkley or coach Romano to a sub-80 round. I wonder if his reputation will suffer at all? In fairness, however, I really enjoyed the final episode with Ray, where Hank had him play a one-man, two-ball scramble on a miserably wet and rainy day at Liberty National. When Hank asked him to predict a score, Ray, always the negative thinker, said "83."  He then went on to shoot a scramble score of 3-over 75 in the tough conditions. Knowing that he had, in essence, a mulligan on every shot relaxed him, and allowed him to hit mostly good shots on the first try. And the exercise showed that Ray has it in him to hit enough quality shots to break 80 easily, if he can free himself from the negative thoughts that haunt him on the course. A lesson for us all, I think.

Phil the Thrill could hit a whale. Remember, at Pebble (that's what the cool kids call it, just "Pebble") there are no corporate tents to the left of the 18th fairway to keep Phil's ball in play, as there were at Winged Foot in 2006. There are only rip tides and marine life. So don't be shocked if you see Lefty wading in toward the setting Father's Day sun, a la George Costanza, looking for a Callaway lodged in a blowhole. ("The sea was angry that day, my friends. Like John Daly trying to send back a decaffeinated Diet Coke at Hooters.")

Sergio Garcia could blame his poor performance on global warming. The ocean is right there, after all, and how can a guy concentrate when it's getting higher and higher all the time? It's just not fair.

NCAA champ Scott Langley could wear a "Save the Chief" hat in the first round. Langley, a University of Illinois junior, is not a native Flatlander (he hails from Manchester, Missouri), so he may not have had a chance to develop a high level of loyalty to  Chief Illiniwek before his visage was banned by the didactic and nefarious NCAA. But after earning a spot in the U.S. Open just four days after claiming the U of I's first-ever NCAA men's individual golf title (Stricker's best finish was ninth), Langley is most likely feeling a rush of school pride. Why not put it on display in a big way?

Tom Watson could win the dang thing. No, seriously, he could! Pebble Beach is not long by major championship standards. It is not a golf course your can overpower. Rather, hitting fairways and greens, and playing smart golf, Watson's fortes, will be paramount. Even more so than usual. If his putter catches fire as it did for 71 holes at Turnberry last year, I think he has a chance to contend – unless ...

Jack Nicklaus could come out of retirement just to kick Watson's butt. What, you think if the Golden Bear asked for a last-minute special exemption the USGA wouldn't give it to him? You just know he's been wanting to give young whippersnapper Tom Watson what-for since that dagger to the heart at the 17th in 1982. After all, Nicklaus won his Pebble Beach U.S. Open (in 1972) at the 17th like a man: by hitting the pin with a 1-iron (a 1-iron!), not with some lucky-a$$ chip shot that probably would have run 15 feet past if it hadn't gone in the hole! Watson's famous shot will get a lot of air play the next few days, and it may be more than Jack can take.

A relatively new course less than an hour from my house could be awarded the 2017 U.S. Open! Actually, this is considered quite likely to happen, as naturally beautiful Erin Hills, in the tiny town of Erin, Wisconsin (outside Milwaukee), is the odds-on favorite for that honor. An announcement is expected on Wednesday, and we'll have more to say about the course – which has a surprisingly complicated history – if and when the Open bid comes to pass.

UPDATE: As Mike comments below, Erin Hills has indeed been selected for the 2017 U.S. Open!

Someone could choke worse than Jean Van de Velde. Wait ... that already happened, a couple days ago at the St. Jude Classic, where Robert Garrigus, a true journeyman, stood on the 18th tee on Sunday with a three-shot lead – and then lost his mind. Perhaps it compromises your brain function when every drop of sweat in your body has leaked into the seat of your pants. (In fairness to Mr. VdV, I've always thought he got something of a bad rap for his Open Championship meltdown. But we'll save that discussion for a future post.)

A 13-year-old could get picked out of the crowd to caddy for a practice round. Wait ... that already happened too! A great story. Kudos to amateur Russell Henley for giving a kid the opportunity of a lifetime.

Steve Stricker could win the U.S. Open! I know, I know ... The Whiffler is a hopelessly biased sucker. But Stricker's been flying below the radar a bit lately, thanks to his recent injury (which he seems to have recovered from). And that can only help him on the big stage of the U.S. Open. Besides, I have to stand by my prediction from earlier this year – which in retrospect was kinda wishy-washy. But I still say that IF Stricker wins a major this year, his best chance would be here. (Image: Stricker with the trophy he won at the 2010 Northern Trust Open. PeterMillar.com)

Half-Decades of Dominance: Arnold Palmer

 One in a Series

Fifty years ago this month, Arnold Palmer hit the most famous shot of his career – indeed, one of the most famous shots in golf history: a driver to the green of the first hole of the final round of the U.S. Open at Cherry Hills. The shot – and the winning round of 65 it set in motion – cemented Arnold's reputation as a daring, dashing, hard-charging, balls-out dynamo of a golfer. It was the moment he truly became The King, the best golfer on earth.

     What if Arnie had played it safe? Not just on Saturday's final round (they played 36 on Saturday in those days), but all week. He had tried to drive that first green in each of the first three rounds and paid the price for it. The world will never know, of course. But it could easily be argued that if Arnie had played the 346-yard downhill, dog-leg par-4 with brains instead of brawn, he wouldn't have needed to mount such a sensational 7-shot comeback in the final round.

     Maybe, maybe not. But Arnold Palmer was not raised to play it safe. (Image: Arnold Palmer flings his visor after sinking his final putt at Cherry Hills in 1960. John G. Zimmerman, SI, via sportsillustrated.cnn.com)

The story of Arnold Palmer's humble beginnings is well known. Born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in 1929, Palmer had a club in his hands at a very early age. His father, Milford Jerome "Deacon" Palmer, was chief groundskeeper and head professional at the local country club. And even though he basically grew up on a golf course, his early life was not one of privilege. Latrobe was a small town, and in those days, golf professionals were still regarded as little more than hired help – as evidenced by Deacon's dual role at the club.

     Young Arnie learned the game from the man most people called "Deke" – whose methods reflected his no-nonsense approach to life and work. "Hit it hard, boy," Arnold says Deke instructed him. "Go find it and hit it hard again." By the time he was 5, the legend goes, he was hitting the ball hard enough that the ladies of the club would pay him a nickel to hit their balls over the creek on the sixth hole – 120 yards out.

     His well-earned confidence often bordered on cockiness. The ability to walk that fine line between the two would would serve him well during his competitive career. As a boy, his caddy friends would often say, "I'm Walter Hagen" or "I'm Bobby Jones" as they fantasized their way around the course. Palmer, by contrast, would simply declare, "I'm Arnold Palmer."

     And therein lies the key to much of Palmer's success. Perhaps the most powerful weapon in championship golf is the ability to say to yourself: "I'm the best player in the world and everyone else on the course knows it." For the early years of the 1960s, that ability was a big club in Arnold Palmer's bag.

     From 1960-1962, Palmer won five major championships (two Masters, two Open Championships, and one U.S. Open) and finished second in three others. He was the leading money winner and PGA Player of the year in 1960 and 1962. In 1963, he won no major titles, but claimed seven other PGA Tour victories, including the prestigious Los Angeles Open and Western Open. And he was again the tour's leading money winner.

     In 1964 Palmer claimed the last of his seven major championships by winning the Masters for the fourth time in seven years. By then he had lost that big club, his undisputed claim to professional golf's throne, to a young man named Nicklaus. And with that potent weapon missing from his arsenal, Arnie and his hard-charging style would never enjoy quite the same level of success he had previously. But oh, what a reign he enjoyed at the top!

Palmer's record surely speaks for itself. But the man they call The King meant – and continues to mean – so much more to the game of golf than can be measured by scores, championships, and awards.

     Arnold's greatest contribution to golf had as much to do with timing as ability. He burst onto the scene just as television was taking root in the hearts and minds of the American public, and Palmer became the perfect leading man as a new kind of drama unfolded on the small screen. By 1960, nearly 90 percent of American households had TV, and a great many of them had tuned in to watch CBS's telecast of Palmer's thrilling Master's victory that year. Arnold birdied the final two holes to win by a stroke – and a star was born.

     Palmer didn't just play a golf course, he attacked it. He was fit, handsome, and charming, with a magnetic personality neither the galleries nor the TV audiences could resist. No one has ever connected with fans the way Palmer does before or since. (Image: Arnold Palmer at the height of his powers in 1962. Sports Illustrated.)
     It wasn't just golf in America that Arnold gave a shot in the arm. In 1960, following his famous victory in that year's U.S. Open, Palmer crossed the pond to play in the Open Championship (known to most Americans as the British Open).  Today it is commonplace for top golfers to make that trip, but in 1960 (which happened to be the tournament's 100th anniversary year), most top Americans didn't think the trip across the Atlantic was worth the effort. It was a long, expensive journey with not much money at stake. Plus, there was the not-so-small matter that everyone – from the defending champion on down – had to get through the qualifying rounds just to take part. So there was no guarantee you'd even make it to the first tee.
     But golf's new bright light felt the tournament, with its long and rich history, deserved to have the top Americans in the field. There was also enticement of what Palmer himself dubbed the new "Grand Slam": the Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship. With the 1960 Masters and U.S. Open trophies already on his mantle, he wanted to take a shot at winning them all in one year.
     Palmer made the journey to much fanfare, but narrowly missed the third leg of the Slam, finishing second at the Old Course to Australian Kel Nagle by a single stroke. His mere presence, however, helped return the championship to true major status. And his disappointment with his near-miss was no doubt tempered by his subsequent victories in 1961 and '62. Eventually, the British fans would embrace Palmer in a way they had not embraced an American since Bobby Jones' historic victories there more than three decades earlier.
     That 1962 win no doubt also helped take some of the sting out of his loss earlier that year to 22-year-old Jack Nicklaus. It was the first major professional victory for the man some called "Fat Jack." Nicklaus didn't just beat Palmer, he wore him down in his own back yard (in the face of hostile fans) in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, just miles from his boyhood home in Latrobe. It was a turning point; not so much a passing of the torch by Palmer as a seizing of it by Nicklaus. But the most-potent weapon in golf now belonged to the pharmacist's boy from Columbus, Ohio.

Palmer wasn't quite done yet, of course. He captured the last of his major titles with his fourth Masters green jacket in 1964. It was fitting that his last major would come at Augusta National, a layout that suited his aggressive style (much as it suits Phil Mickelson's game today). And he went on to win 16 more individual PGA Tour titles – as well as a few "team" titles (which were more common back then) partnering with his would-be nemesis, Jack Nicklaus. The successful pairing is testament to the mutual respect and friendship the two men shared, even in the face of their fierce on-course rivalry. (Image: Palmer receives his fourth green jacket from Nicklaus, the 1963 champ. augusta.com)
     Today, no one can match Palmer's standing in the game. He remains the one true "King," respected and admired as no one short of Nicklaus – and truly beloved as no other.

Half-Decade of Dominance: 1960-1964

Major wins/appearances: 6/19 (31.6%)
    Masters: 1, T2, 1, T9, 1
    U.S. Open: 1, T14, 2, 2, T5
    Open Championship: 2, 1, 1, T26, DNP
    PGA Championship: T7, T5, T17, T40, T2
Top 5: 13/19 (68.4%)
Top 10: 15/19 (78.9%)

Career

Seven major professional championships

    4 Masters (1958, '60, '62, '64)
    1 U.S. Open (1960)
    2 Open Championships (1961, '62)
One U.S. Amateur Championship (1954)

Sources/Recommended reading
A Golfer's Life, by Arnold Palmer with James Dodson.
Arnie and Jack: Palmer, Nicklaus, and Golf's Greatest Rivalry, by Ian O'Connor.
The Eternal Summer: Palmer, Nicklaus, and Hogan in 1960, Golf's Golden Year, by Curt Sampson.
Jenkins at the Majors: Sixty Years of the World's Best Golf Writing, from Hogan to Tiger, by Dan Jenkins.

Something Lighter

Let's take a break from this heavy stuff with a little whiffle for "all you mini-van families out there ..."

And for those who might want a little more God (and dog) in their day, check out "God and Dog" (if you're a dog lover, try not to cry).

Next post: Arnold Palmer. I promise.

A "whiffle" is a post "light or insignificant" in nature and that may not have anything to do with golf.