Handicapping The Olympic Design Finalists

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The field has been set for golf architecture’s grandest Grade 1 race. Eight will line up in a fiercely contested battle to become the lucky designer charged with building a course expected to inspire future creations with its environmentally sensitivity and playable charm. Here’s a look at the field set to be chosen by a jury panel in late January or early February.
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2011 In Review, Vol. 1

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I really enjoy year-in-review items and Steve Elling posts the best overview of the year in pro golf, with this reminder for what continues to be an amazing story that hopefully gets plenty of attention during the first half of 2012:

Storybook tale continues: The Nationwide Tour doesn't get much coverage for obvious reasons. After all, Triple-A baseball doesn't, either. But one of the most heart-warming, fulfilling stories of the year continued to develop on the Nationwide this year when Erik Compton finished 13th in earnings to secure his PGA Tour card for 2012. Compton is, quite simply, a medical marvel and an inspiration in spikes. He's the only known sports figure in the world making a living in a professional game after having received a heart transplant, much less two of them. The obstacles that Compton has overcome defy description.

And what do Dan Quayle, Jack Nicklaus, Kevin Na, Roger Ebert and Luke Donald have in common? They're all part of Mike Walker's compilation of the best quotes of the year.

USGA's Davis: Solheim's Letter "Really Well Written"

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Jim Achenbach rang up USGA Executive Director Mike Davis who complimented PING's John Solheim for not ending any sentences with a preposition and for avoiding double-negatives. But he pretty much shot down Solheim's three-ball concept for the game as the USGA and R&A seem determined to stick to the "one set of rules for all golfers" even though common sense would suggest that's not feasible.
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"The PGA Tour should not be a closed shop."

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A fair point indeed, unfortunately he has to offer a counterpoint to Gary Van Sickle's extensive argument in favor of keeping Q-School and it's just not a fair fight. Van Sickle wheels out the names Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler as two players who would be spending a year on the Nationwide Tour if they were turning pro today.
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