THE STARTER SHACK

We get that the PGA Tour is not going to tell us if Dustin Johnson got suspended because he got coked up and danced naked at a Sammy Hagar's in Memphis (this probably didn't happen), but for the love of God, tell us who won the $40 million PIP Bonus!

🤬The PGA Tour is so secretive!!!

🧐 Golf course removes bunkers

🐅 The clubs Tiger used before his famous Mizuno's  

⛳️ No more "Brooksie"

PGA TOUR

Ben (Wasn't Always) Wright

The world of golf lost a legend this past week with the passing of John Bentley Wright.

Who may be asking? Better known as Ben Wright, the man lived one hell of a life:

• Newspaperman, golf correspondent and a very good golfer (a 2-handicap)
• Novelist, golf course designer and storyteller supreme right to the end
• Worked on CBS golf telecasts for 23 year, ending controversially in 1996
• Always entertaining television commentator (nd on-air muse for Gary McCord)
• Played himself, as an announcer, on Tin Cup in 1996
• Eventually replaced at CBS by David Feherty (famously at Augusta’s 15th hole)

In a career full of highlights best known for his work on CBS telecasts, here are a handful of Wright’s life nuggets that we enjoy regaling (there is a treasure trove online):

• He actually coined the first “Yes, Sir!” at the Masters in 1986, however, it has been obscured by Uncle Vern Lundquist’s iconic call of Jack’s snaking birdie on the 17th that day
• His thoughts on Johnny Miller - “"He's terribly self-centered."
• Speaking of slow play, on a telecast in 1983 during a particularly slow round, the CBS cameras panned to some ducks in a pond - without missing a beat, he noted “When this round began, those were eggs.”

Wright also had some interesting links to some golf history:

• He was at Carnoustie in '53 (stationed nearby on military service) and watched Hogan win The Open
• he was summoned to Bobby Jones' deathbed so the legend could question him about a column he wrote about the slowness of play in the sport

It isn’t all rainbows and lollipops, though, as his tenure with CBS ended in 1996 after comments he made about female golfers during an LPGA tournament in Wilmington, Delware.

While his thoughts on LPGA players, their physical attributes impeding their swings and other unseemly stuff ultimately cost him his job, he didn’t hold a grudge and clearly went on enjoying his life to the very end.

Much like his countryman, Peter Aliss, there will never be another like him, and golf is worse off for it. RIP Bentley.

GIMME

• Golf course removes every bunker: which is great news as we might be able to break the elusive 86. As we read the article further, the decision to remove all the bunkers was not based on our personal golf abilities and more to do with the fact that the course would save $50k in annual maintenance.
• Player Impact Program recipients: will not be disclosed?! Listen, we've accepted that the PGA Tour is tightlipped about...pretty much everything. But when you publicly announce a program like this and you've got guys who are jockeying on Twitter like they're jockeying for a FedEx Cup position, then give us the payoff! What a bunch of horsesh!t! Why even announce the program in the first place?
• No more Brooksie: The PGA Tour announced that it may kick fans out for yelling Brooksie. Daddy stepped in a little sooner than we thought he would but maybe this is a good thing. Maybe we can now go back to Mash Potatoes! Or Baba Booey! Or Dilly Dilly! Or we can start a new one...Phil's Calves!
• Does Bryson deserve this?: whether you like Bryson or not, and whether Bryson has brought some or all of this on himself, it seems that this is getting out of hand. Bryson almost ripped his shirt off and challenged a heckler to a boxing match.
• Phil's in the Ryder Cup!: but not as he'd probably like...he's going to act as a Vice Captain. This ends his streak of playing in the Ryder Cup since he debuted in 1995, the longest streak on record. It's good to know that we'll still see Phil's thumbs at the Ryder Cup.
• Cantlay has deep thoughts: when asked about the hecklers in the crowd during his playoff with DeChambeau. His response was so well thought out that a reporter asked if he'd read from a script. We will admit, we often read from a script when we win our low net in the 3rd flight of our Club Champ.

PIC OF THE DAY

We have one question...what does this mean for an 18 handicap that maybe takes a mulligan (or three), who also may happen to accept a gimme or four, AND who might possibly put that all meaning asterisk next to their score on a couple of holes? That's right, we're an 18 handicap.

We have to be honest, this blows our hair back like we've rigged the governor on an old three-wheel two-stroke as we cruise the course at midnight with the Dean's daughter.

WITB

Before Tiger was dominating the field with his Mizuno's, and then Titleists (Mizuno's stamped with Titleist), and then Nike's (Mizuno's stamped as Nike's), he was following in the footsteps of Ian Backer-Finch with these beauties.

INSIDE THE ROPES

Steve Van Zandt of E-Street fame needs to take the place of Paul Azinger and give us this verbal gold, live on air, on a daily basis. We're such big fans that we'd even tune into the Safeway Open for this!

Catch more of Van Zandt's Twitter highlights here.

GOLF GEAR

Garmin Approach R10:

We like toys. We'd also like to know how far our 9 iron goes (after we bent it from smacking it on the cart path) and the Garmin Approah R10 can do that and more. Track over a dozen metrics, record your swing, play virtual rounds...plus much more. Take a look right here.

*not a sponsored post

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Today's email was brought to you by: Nolan Filipenko & Colby Johannson

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