"The distance elite players are hitting the ball hasn't fundamentally changed the balance of skills that lead to good scoring."

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John Paul Newport makes the case above--distance gains have not fundamentally changed the game--and I'm not sure if this was the best week to write this story after a soft Plainfield looked completely overmatched by modern equipment (a stunning 31 players finished in double digits under par for 54 holes while the winner was 19-under for 3 rounds).
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Playoff System Designed To Ensure Tiger Woods Makes It To The Final Weekend Begins Without Tiger Woods

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Just remember over the next four weeks: every time we get a rundown of the points permutations, FedExCup standings, points resets, whiteboard scenarios and other geeky nonsense, this was a points system built around making sure one person would be playing right up to the final weekend at East Lake.
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Robert Allenby Does The Humane Thing And Fires His Caddies

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Ben Everill reports that the Aussie has dropped his "shared-duty" caddies (one can only take so many weeks in a row with the man?) and has replaced them wtih Robert Floyd, son of Ray, who is very open about his recent troubles with alcohol and year of court-ordered house arrest that has him lugging not only Allenby's baggage...err...bag, but an ankle bracelet too.
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Plainfield's Risky Finish

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Larry Dorman examines the big twist at Donald Ross' Plainfield for The Barclays: the driveable 18th. Always the weak link in an otherwise fantastic design, Dorman tells the backstory of the decision to move it up as made by Gil Hanse with the PGA Tour's Steve Wenzloff doing all of the explaining at headquarters for the skeptical Oxford shirt set.
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Two-And-A-Half Minutes Of Your Life You Won't Get Back: Dustin Johnson Dresses Up In A FedEx Uniform

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This is painfully awkward on so many levels.

Warning, this is only for terminally ill readers seeking ways to prolong their lives.

Someone's Watching Over The Commissioner's Parking Space

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I know Tim Finchem's probably in the city today hammering out the TV deal, but imagine the surprise if his motorcade of matching 7-Series rolled into the Plainfield CC parking lot and found this American-made truck to drive in his spot? Or is the Commish trying to make a statement to his red-state players by ditching the sedan for a little slice of Americana?
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