Who'd A Thunk It: Rollerblader JB Holmes Out 8-10 Weeks

I saw it on Twitter and didn't believe it. Maybe I'm having a hard time with the image of long-hitter and recent brain surgery recoverer J.B. Holmes rollerblading...backwards!  But then came news of a fracture sidelining him 8-10 weeks.

Jeff Rude explains.

Next Stop On The Charlie Beljan Low Blood Sugar Attack Tour!

Amazingly, NBC News continues to perpetuate the saga of Charlie Beljan's "panic attack" from last fall's Disney event, the same "attack" that came after not ingesting food for 20 hours.

In my day, not eating for that long and feeling faint on the course would be a low blood sugar or energy issue. But these days it's a panic attack.

Thanks to reader DTF for warning me about Friday's Rock Center maudlinfest...and I love Mary Carillo, but this is absurd:

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The Next Nicklaus Files: Eddie Pearce

Jason Sobel comes in just under the 7000 word barrier in looking at the ultimate "Next Nicklaus" and eventual Roger Maltbie drinking buddy, Eddie Pearce.

A sampling:

Sports Illustrated once deemed him “The Next Nicklaus." His buddies agreed with the magazine – and his buddies knew a thing or two about talent.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with as much talent as him,” says Ben Crenshaw, himself a two-time Masters champion. “Eddie had such a gorgeous, powerful swing. He could just hit the most beautiful shots you’ve ever seen.”

“Eddie had as much talent as anybody I’d ever seen,” agrees Lanny Wadkins, Pearce's teammate at Wake Forest and a 21-time PGA Tour winner.

“This was a guy who was going to win frequently and win majors,” maintains accomplished amateur Vinny Giles, who also served as his manager. “He was going to be one of the best players in the game.”

Forget the spoiler alert: It never happened. Eddie never became The Next Nicklaus. Hell, he never became Eddie Pearce, if you listen to the stories.

Stricker Almost Walked Away Entirely!?

Doug Ferguson writes about Steve Stricker's new condensed schedule.

I didn't read them all, but I don't believe I read this mention of all-out retirement in any of the stories touching on Stricker's decision to cut back in 2013:

The original plan was to defend his title at Kapalua and walk away. Over the holidays, he struck a compromise of 10 or 11 events.

"What I told Nicki was if I could just make enough money to pay our yearly expenses as a family, I'm fine with that," Stricker said at Kapalua. "If we don't have to touch anything I've put away, I don't need to do what I'm doing just to make money. I'd rather be staying home, doing things at home.

"I wanted to not have it be about me anymore."

Bubba Reiterates His Support For The Anchoring Ban

This Tweet should add some discussion material for the reigning Masters champion's next practice round with buddy Webb Simpson:

"It was like the Old Testament story of Samson offering to buy linen garments and a set of clothes for his 30 wedding guests if they could solve his riddle."

The story is long but it's a fun one involving Bubba Watson, the Masters, caddie Paul Tesori, a palm tree and a $10,000 engagement ring.

Hey, that could be a pitch for The Hangover 4. Only none of the above drink. Oh well.

Doug Ferguson explains.

"Elkington splashes onto the Champions Tour with the same gorgeous swing, but as a combination of 1920s barnstorming player and Internet startup CEO."

Brett Avery gets to the bottom of what Steve Elkington is doing with his cultish Secretinthedirt.com web community and his stunning new house on wheels that will be his home-away-from-home as he travels the Champions Tour.

Bob Croslin's photos of Elkington's amazing big rig accompany the story in Golf World and the online edition.

Through organic growth Secret has members from more than 125 countries. Maves equates the 30,000 unique monthly visitors to Twitter, where a core stokes conversations and far more read and retweet. Elkington claims that by dress and swing alone he can pick from a crowd any Dirters, as they call themselves. "We always try to get them to think a little deeper," Elkington says. "Take responsibility for your own game."

Among the converted is Ross Roark, a west Texas horse trainer who met Elkington 15 years ago. Roark discovered Secret as a mid-80s shooter with a looping, knee-dipping swing many instructors might scrap. Roark grooved his action by studying about 300 videos, one reason the new Secret channel on YouTube has logged a million views. "If you want to know anything about golf, about the swing or the way it's supposed to be done, it's right there in The Vault," he says. Last summer Roark, now scratch, shot a 63.

"Wie: A phenomenal talent stifled"

Provocative story and firsthand reporting from Peter Stone on the prodigy that was Michelle Wie and her ever-present parents.

Regarding her putting:

Through the years, Wie has been tormented by her putting. She’s tried half a dozen or so different putting styles and grips, she’s tried the belly putter. Now she is using a quite bizarre stance that sees her bending over with her back almost parallel to the ground. If Laura Davies should try it, she’d probably topple to the ground.

It was reported at a recent tournament in Dubai Michelle was seen on the putting green with mum holding her head down, her father adjusting and positioning the line of her putter addressing the ball, and just to complete the exercise the caddie was voicing his opinion of the stroke.