One-Legged Cancer Sufferer Scores St. Andrews Ace!

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The Daily Record with the inspiring (short) story of the one-legged "pensioner who has cancer and poor eyesight" named Joe McLaughlin.

The 70-year-old aced the Jubilee's par-three fifth.

Incredibly, it was Joe’s fifth hole-in-one in 60 years of playing. The former teacher, of Glenmavis, Airdrie, lost the lower half of his left leg in 2009 after developing a blood clot in his thigh.

He has daily chemotherapy after being diagnosed with skin and bone marrow cancer and has a cataract in his right eye.

The Trump Blue Monster Renovation Plan Revealed...**

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Torleif Sorenson posts Gil Hanse and Donald Trump's vision for the TPC Blue Monster at Trump Doral, though I'm hard pressed to see many major changes other than the par-3 15th which has lots of water around it.

The Donald told the media Tuesday that it's going to be an island green.

But Bradley Klein explains that's been a source of disagreement between the design partners.

But when it came to a proposed island green, Hanse balked. When Trump urged extension of a pond to encircle the otherwise placid, landlocked green on the par-3 15th, Hanse resisted, explaining that it would be out of character with Wilson’s emphasis on diagonal lines of play. So the plan now is to project the relocated green out into a corner of the expanded pond and form a sharp diagonal, with the putting surface flanked by water front left and deep to the rear.

Texas Rep Introduces Amendment To Suspend Obama Golf Trips

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Nicholas Ballasy reports that Republican Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert has introduced an amendment to a Continuing Resolution that would not provide the White House with any taxpayer funds to transport President Barack Obama to and from any golf course as long as White House public tours were not being offered due to budget cuts.

“None of the funds made available by a division of this act may be used to transport the president to or from a golf course until public tours of the White House resume,” the amendment reads.

The video:

Whew: Rory And Caroline Speaking Again On Twitter

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Check that theory question off the list.

With Caroline sensing Rory's dismay at red card issued in the Champions League showdown between Manchester United and Real Madrid, this means writers who did not get the Sunday exclusive on his reasons for quitting at last week's Honda can focus their Wednesday press conference skepticism on the gaping holes in his WD story and game.

The spellbinding Twitter exchange that washes away all of our worries.

Long Putter Use Way Down Through West Coast Swing

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Jason Sobel has obtained Darrell Survey results showing long putter use is way down in 2013 (they do not track whether players anchor). So far the 94 who have used the long wand made 61.7 percent of cuts and scored nine top-10s, slightly above the average.

Broken down, the data shows a decrease at each event: Hyundai Tournament of Champions (from seven to five); Sony Open (24 to 21); Humana Challenge (30 to 18); Farmers Insurance Open (31 to 13); Waste Management Phoenix Open (25 to 11); AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (25 to 10); and Northern Trust Open (33 to 16).

With most of the success coming for long putter users coming in Hawaii, Sobel says:

Yes, the game’s governing bodies still must determine whether an anchored putt should be defined as a legal stroke, but any notion that this is greatly affecting the game at its uppermost level has so far been summarily dismissed by the statistics.

Reading that, I realize the "no competitive advantage" talking point really is problematic either way it is used as an argument.

Those claiming it--while ignoring the major championship wins and improved putting by several players in majors where pressure is greatest--must have a hard time keeping a straight face.

But to also claim there is simply no advantage--that it can be "summarily dismissed"--helps the governing bodies say, okay, we do not see this as a traditional stroke, you say there is no advantage, everyone with back issues can keep using a long putter, so what's the problem again?

Tracking Johnny's Flip Flop(s) On Anchoring

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Masterful breakdown from Jaime Diaz in Golf World Monday on Johnny Miller's almost-daily position switches on the anchoring ban, with some of the switches depending on who is visiting the booth.

Look, many have waivered because it's a complex issue. But multiple positions in a week?

Can't wait for the U.S. Open when Johnny pats Mike Davis on the back for a job well done! Too bad NBC doesn't have the PGA so that Ted Bishop could get the same pat.