Notebook: Augusta changes and Bohn suffers heart attack

Augusta’s 13th might get a makeover

According to a Golfweek report one of the most famous par 5s in golf might be adding a few extra yards.
The 13th at Augusta National may be lengthened if the club succeed in buying some land from the nearby Augusta Country Club. As well as a new service road the hole could find an additional 50 yards.

Two years ago Bubba Watson flew it over the corner of the trees to leave just a wedge in. But, needless to say, the left-hander is in the minority as another left-hander remarked.

“Wow, I thought it made a big impact when they moved it back already,” said three-time Masters champ Phil Mickelson. “But there are still guys that can take it over the corner and take it over the trees. I mean, there’s only like five of them, but there’s still some. So I guess I understand it, they’re trying probably to eliminate that for the entire field.”

Billy Horschel was a little more outspoken about the possible changes.

“If they move the tee back, I may get kicked out of there, but it’s the dumbest thing in the world. I mean, I’m being nice about it. I think it’s a great hole already. Golf is going in the wrong direction by adding length to the golf course.

“Yeah they bomb it over the trees, but if they hit it just a little bit left they’re catching the trees and going into the hazard. What’s wrong with someone sacking up and hitting a great tee shot and having a short iron in? Reward the guy for it, don’t punish him.’”

 

Bohn suffers heart attack

Jason Bohn suffered a heart attack after completing his second round at the Honda Classic.

The 42-year-old, who has two wins on the PGA Tour, made the cut on the mark but complained of chest pains and went to the on-site medic before getting in an ambulance and heading to hospital.

It was reported as ’mild’ but the Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte, who received two texts from the player, revealed that it was more serious than that.

“It wasn’t a mild heart attack, it was a major heart attack. He told me his LAD [left anterior descending artery] was 99 percent blocked – that’s the major artery, also known as the widowmaker,” Rosaforte said. “They put a stent in and he’s resting comfortably in the ICU.”

 

’Progressing nicely’

There were reports on the Twitterdeck that Tiger was struggling with his recovery and even had problems sitting in a car.

Then, in a video shot just before 9am on Wednesday, he is shown hitting a 9-iron on a simulator.
The only two words in the Tweet were ’progressing nicely’.

His agent Mark Steinberg explained: “This was meant more for all of Tiger’s fans who had reached out since all of this erroneous reporting came out over the weekend that he was so disabled he had to sit in the passenger seat of a car. So many had reached out and wondered if this was the end and if this was true. This was meant to give the most recent update.”

As for the shot he added: “That’s a fairly full swing. It’s a full 9-iron that he was hitting. He’s been doing some chipping, working his way to where he is at right now.

“It would be different if I had just said he’s progressing and doing some chipping and putting. This is a bit more impactful and relevant to show it this way.”

The Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte claimed that Tiger has already been hitting drivers too though not at full speed.

The 40-year-old has not played since tying for 10th six months ago at the Wyndham Championship.

 

Jack throws a Ryder Cup partaaay

 

 

At last week’s Honda Classic America’s Ryder Cup hopefuls gathered at Jack Nicklaus’ home for a little get-together.

Thanks to Davis Love’s Twitter feed we were able to see who was in attendance which included Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner (who looks smaller than normal?), Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and (top right) Tiger.

Love keeps the faith in Tiger

 

Staying with TW his Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III thinks it is still possible for him to play in the competition.

Woods is already one of Love’s vice-captains but the 2012 skipper thinks he can double up at Hazeltine.

Love told BBC World News: “If he can play 10 or 12 tournaments in a row, I think he can get his game back and make our team. We’ve underestimated his injuries. He has really been held down the last few years, but he can play. Get him out there on the course and he still wants to do it. He just needs a full season, like any athlete, to get himself straightened out.”

Dawson gets unexpected gift
Adam Scott revealed this week that he gave Peter Dawson one of his long putters as a retirement present. Dawson, who retired as the R&A’s chief executive last year, was instrumental in the new anchoring ban so Scott sent him one of his extended flat sticks.

”He said he greatly appreciated the gesture,” Scott said. ”He said he’d put it with all the other obsolete clubs.”

Malcolm welcomes R&A and LGU merger

 

Turnberry still on Open rota

 

The earliest that Donald Trump and Turnberry will get to stage the Open Championship will be 2022. It seems that Royal St George’s will host it in 2020 and then it will head back to St Andrews for the 150th Open.

Some had claimed that Turnberry had fallen off the rota following some of the rubbish that has come out of Trump’s mouth in his bid to become the Republican Party’s US presidential candidate.

But the R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers played that down, saying: “Turnberry is still part of a pool of 10 courses that we have and we take it year-by-year. We consider the venues, we consider the macro-environment that’s around it and make the right decisions around the venues that are most suited for those years.

“Turnberry has not been a frequent venue There have been quite a lot of gaps in between. There’s no regular rhythm to what order we take the courses, apart from being conscious of the balance between England and Scotland and taking it to St Andrews on a regular basis (every five years).”

New Final Qualifying courses named

 

From 2018 until 2021 the four courses that will stage Final Qualifying for the Open will be Notts (Hollinwell) in Nottinghamshire, Prince’s Golf Club in Kent, The Renaissance Club in East Lothian and St Annes Old Links in Lancashire.

Final Qualifying came in in 2014 and the current venues are Woburn, Royal Cinque Ports, Gailes Links and Hillside. This year there are 12 spots available.

New home for Lawrie Match Play
Paul Lawrie’s Match Play tournament won’t be returning to Murcar Links this summer. The event, won by Kiradech Aphibarnrat, made its debut last summer but the members of Murcar were informed not to expect any playing disruption.

Reportedly the tournament suffered six-figure losses, with crowds of just 11,000 over the five days, while the oil industry’s struggles in Aberdeen are also a factor.

It was rumoured that The Renaissance or Archerfield Links could stage the tournament from August 4-7 and later confirmed that it will indeed be heading to Archerfield.