"It’s a Huck Finn-Forest Gump adventure, an incredible story."

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On the Monday when so man dreamers take their crack at the US Open, it’s worth checking out this Iain MacIntyre Vancouver Sun story on PGA Tour Canada Monday qualifier Ryan Cook, former oil patch worker, self taught golfer and part-time Darrell Survey taker. He's not in a sectional today, but maybe one of these days.

From MacIntyre's story, sent in by reader Joel:

The 28-year-old from Burnaby, who quit his job in the Alberta oil patch two years ago and moved to California to teach himself to be a golf pro, was in the field Thursday at Point Grey for the first round of the $150,000 PC Financial Open, the opening event in the PGA Tour Canada season.

Cook played junior golf competitively but claims his handicap would have been around 25 when he moved to Palm Desert in 2012.

When a reporter claims baloney, Cook says: “Twenty. I’m serious. It took me two months to break 80 when I first went down there. I quit golf for at least five years. But I’ve always known that I had talent. I just thought if I could down to the golf mecca and meet the right people I could start playing.

Ken Green's At Senior PGA, Still Fighting For A Shot

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Ken Green, who five years ago lost everyone close to him in an unimaginably awful accident and who hit such a low a year ago that he admits to having contemplated suicide, opened with an 80 at the Senior PGA Championship, writes Bill Fields.

Even better, despite struggling to get any sponsor's invites in his efforts to come back, Green hasn't lost his sense of humor.

Fields writes:

Disappointingly for Green, he hasn't had much success gaining sponsor's exemptions into Champions Tour events in an attempt to "tell his story" and inspire others with disabilities. He said he's 0-for-12 in his latest attempts, but got a spot at Harbor Shores as a former United States Ryder Cup team member. The undulating Jack Nicklaus design was a tough challenge for Green, who opened with a nine-over 80.

"I heard the greens were off the charts. I didn't know Jack also did the fairways a litle bumpy," Green said. "For your average two-legged person, maybe they're not [that difficult], but for the one-legged yo-yo that I am, these fairways are nasty. It's discouraging. The one thing I didn't want to do is embarrass me or golf. I know it's not, but in my brain I feel like it is."

Why Does Martin Kaymer Warm-Up With A Tennis Ball Around His Neck?

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Far be it from me to question someone who just posted a 63 on a very difficult golf course (Smits game story here), but if you were watching Morning Drive today you saw Martin Kaymer warming up for round two of The Players with a tennis ball tied to a string around his neck.

I repeat, a tennis ball worn like a credential. Around his neck. Whoa Nellie!

Golf Central Doc noticed the next craze in wacky warm-up techniques back at the Masters and posted this clip.