The best female golfers on the planet are having their first Major meeting of the year at the Kraft Nabisco in California and I can hear the buzz all the way across the country to the East Coast. Many stories abound with Annika Sorenstam trying once again for her announced goal of winning the women’s Grand Slam. And this, while fighting off the perceived challenge from young guns Michelle Wie, Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer. As good as these three are, it is Wie who brings the most buzz. Love her or hate her, everyone wants to see if she ... full post »

Shock waves rippled through the cosmos yesterday when Jean Van de Velde captured his first victory in more than a decade. Unfortunately for Jean, he has only been known for the Calamity at Carnoustie and his rather ignorant stance on females competing against males at the highest levels in the game. It has been easy to forget that Jean was the first Frenchman to play his way onto the European Ryder Cup side mainly because Captain Mark James foolishly did not play his rookie at all until singles and hence, he rather understandably got crushed on that pressure packed final ... full post »

In addition to our 3-4 day mini-trips that we take throughout the year to Williamsburg or Pinehurst, the boys and I have gotten into the habit of taking one big trip per year, usually lasting one week or longer. And I should point out at this time that the lovely and wonderful Mrs. Shanks is verrrry understanding of my need for such golfing adventures. After sandwiching a couple of drive & play trips to the Masters around a 2-week foray to the links nirvana of Scotland over the last few years, this year eight of us are flying south to ... full post »

It is largely a notion of the golfing press in the United States that The Players Championship be considered the fifth major championship. You will not hear anybody from outside of the U.S. clamoring for this new status. Golf needs another Major like golf courses need another hole. It is a ridiculous notion that one more event needs to be considered a major tournament. Is it a significant tournament because it attempts to have one of the best fields in golf? Yes. But so are the World Golf Championship events and they do a similar thing. The Western Open ... full post »

Bad news for the Brat Pack. Annika Sorenstam thinks she can improve on her 2005 performance. Last year’s performance may have been the most dominant in over 50 years at any level of golf. Tiger Woods has never been as dominant on the PGA Tour as Sorenstam was on the LPGA Tour in 2005. She won an astonishing 50 percent of her Tour starts. Half!!! The last year in pro golf that measures up would be the abbreviated play of Ben Hogan in 1953. That year The Hawk entered 6 tournaments and won 5 of them. Did I mention that 3 ... full post »

Ever since a teenage Sergio Garcia burst onto the world golf stage in the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah with his now famous challenge of Tiger Woods, greatness has been predicted for him. He has become a steady presence in the bottom half of the top 10 golfers in the World Ranking but has stalled out there. Not that there is anything wrong with that. All golfers alive - except for the 5 or 6 ahead of him - would be thrilled with that accomplishment. In Sergio’s case it seems like the dreaded story of wasted potential. Many would say that ... full post »

As I write this blog, it is the latter stages of the third round of the Doral PGA tournament. (I just hate saying the sponsors name in the title.) Tiger Woods has just double-bogied the 9th hole to let go of his choke-hold on another title. It’s very nice of him to do this occasionally or else we might not watch anymore when we’re assured of the outcome. It occurred to me that Tiger is much like Wyatt Earp, the famous US lawman. Earp was involved in numerous shootings – including the infamous Gunfight at the OK Corral - ... full post »

Many things come to mind when I think of the Pinehurst Resort. Like most of you, the No. 2 course is probably my very first thought and rightfully so. But having been there several times now, the lasting impression is deeper and more textured. This is a world-class golfing facility steeped in history and oozing with Southern charm. You need not be a VIP to feel pampered in this little slice of heaven. If you’re a person of normal means like myself, you’re probably saying “Shanks, doesn’t it cost a fortune to stay there?” Well, it’s not cheap although they do ... full post »

Nothing could be finer Than to be in Carolina In the Moooorning ….. Yes, I know that I’m dating myself with that little ditty, but it sums up my feeling about the Pinehurst area. If there is a better place to play golf in the Eastern U.S., I haven’t been there yet. In a way Pinehurst reminds me of Scotland, in that golf is woven into the fabric of life there. Even those who don’t actually play golf know all about it. The boys and I left Saturday morning and stopped en route at nearby Keith Hills CC to get in a round just ... full post »