The A Position

On the cusp on Matt Kuchar’s triumphant stroll up the 18th fairway on Sunday at the Players Championship, one of the most intriguing rules situation went virtually unnoticed that resulted in saving the player at least $50,000. Here’s what happened: Kuchar’s playing partner Kevin Na teed off 18 and his drive was pushed right into the rough and near a cart path. Watching it on ... Read more

In Moe & Me: Encounters with Moe Norman, Golf’s Mysterious Genius, author Lorne Rubenstein expertly explores the life and times of one of golf’s most eccentric figures and certainly one of its finest ball-strikers. I first heard about Norman through the writings of Rubenstein, the long time and esteemed golf writer for Toronto’s Globe and Mail newspaper. In fact, in the ‘80s Michigan Golfer reprinted ... Read more

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My renovation is an easy and timely fix: change the playoff format for The Players Championship. Largely due to television considerations, the Players relies on an unfair sudden death playoff format whereby a single shot or hole may decide the winner. Remember the playoff begins on the devilish par-three 17th where a sudden breeze knocked down Paul Goydos’ iron shot in 2008 in a one-and-done anti-climatic ... Read more

Here at The A Position we’re given a topic to address (or not) each month for The A List feature, and the task for May was to suggest an aspect of golf in need of renovation. Actor Bruce McGill joined in on the fun, and a baker’s dozen of strongly worded recommendations can be found by clicking here. Since colleague Susan Bairley and I were heading ... Read more

Ailsa Amber Ale is currently available in only one place in the world, and I’m lucky enough to be here--at the Turnberry Resort in southwest Scotland. The beer is named after the Ailsa golf course, easily among the world’s most enchanting as it plays along the Ayrshire coast. In most recent memorable memory, it was the scene of the 2009 Open Championship, when Tom Watson ... Read more

  In terms of innovation, Odyssey’s new Flip Face putter is a breakthrough product. It’s a putter with interchangeable faces built into the design. No need here to install and correctly align different inserts. Rather, the Flip Face allows players, with the use of provided wrench (that’s ingeniously serves as part of a divot tool) to unscrew the face, allowing it slide open, rotate, and presto ... Read more

OK, what happened to the famed “albatross” ball of Louis Oosthuizen that he tossed into the gallery surrounding the second hole at the Masters on Sunday? Well, as you have probably seen or read, it was caught by Wayne Mitchell, 59, of New Tripoli, PA which is outside Allentown. Vice-President of Air Products, Mitchell and his wife were tournament guests of an executive of Dow ... Read more

What were we just saying about I.K. Kim? Time to envelop Lefty in a group hug for his near miss at the 2012 Masters. If you’re a Philly fan, that is. One of my friends who was over for our Easter feast and Masters viewing yesterday was cackling about Phil’s misfortune while rooting for Miguel Angel Jimenez. (This in vain, as Jimenez crashed and burned ... Read more

(Augusta, GA) Who’s going to win the Masters? Why not inquire at the “Psychic Hope Palm Reader.”  So read the commercial sign seen off Howell Mill Road in Atlanta where we made our final fuel stop last night en route to Augusta. “Her guess is as good as anyone’s this week,” I said to my traveling companion and fellow golf writer as we noticed the ... Read more