When the news came out a few days ago that Tiger Woods will not be playing in the British Open as he continues to recover from his second back surgery, it was not a surprise. It was more of an underlying possibility he may never participate in a Major again, perhaps any tournament at all. He has not played in a year and a half and will miss his third consecutive Major. The contortions, twists and turns that allowed him to strike the ball further than anybody during the prime of his career came at a stiff cost: his health. It is said that we are nothing without our health, and for Tiger Woods this means it will take some kind of medical miracle, or an otherwise incredible amount of rest and physiotherapy, to be able to swing a club with any kind of proficiency.

So, you’ve taken lessons, changed your clubs and your grips and have studied videos to improve your game. Wearing a custom-made mouthpiece might be the added piece of equipment to improve your game by maximizing strength and power. That’s the opinion of Rob Charlton, a Canadian entrepreneur, whose company, New Age Performance, is marketing a molded mouthpiece that can enhance performance by properly aligning the jaw.

Bring on Oakmont, bring on the church pews. That was the story going into the 2016 U.S. Open. As if the man-made course with its myriad of narrow fairways, bunkers of all shapes and sizes and lightning greens weren’t enough of a challenge, this year the players had to deal with Mother Nature from the outset. The first round had to be halted because of rain, followed by a re-start, which was followed by another rain delay and ultimately a postponement to the following day. Some players didn’t even have a chance to begin the round. Thus a tournament renowned for its difficulty, in particular this course in Pittsburgh, played mental games on the players, each of them seeking to add a major win to their careers. Many of those who survived the cut had never won a major.

Every golfer dreams of scoring a hole-in-one. No matter whether you play professionally or recreationally, it’s exciting to ace a hole. At this year’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, 18-year-old Brooke Henderson aced the par-3 13th hole from 152 yards with a 7-iron. It was the fourth of her career. She won the tournament, too, in a playoff against Lydia Ko. It was quite a week for the Canadian phenom, ranked number four in the world at the start of the week. Henderson won a car with hole-in-one – specifically a Kia K900 – which was a prize available for any player who aced that hole. She gave the car to her elder sister, Brittany, who caddies for her.

When Muhammad Ali passed, among those who paid tribute to him was Lydia Ko. “Thank you very much for being an inspiration to all! RIP Muhammad Ali.” Anyone who follows golf has to appreciate Ko’s words. She’s a 19-year-old who would have known Ali only by what she has seen on video or read on the Internet. Sadly, she grew up in an era in which the greatest boxer of the ‘60s and ‘70s – and arguably of all time – had already descended into the depths of the disease that would lead to his death at the age of 74. But it takes one great athlete to recognize and appreciate another.

Have you ever gone to a range or the practice area at a golf club and noticed how many people are working on their driving? Despite the fact drivers may be needed only 14 times on a standard 18-hole course, they have a particular fascination with golfers, particularly hackers or those who play only a few times a year. There is something fantastic about standing on a mat or on the grass and blasting away to see how far a ball can be driven. If it goes straight and true and beyond 200 yards, it's a great feeling of pride. If it’s sliced or hooked, it’s the surest way to, well, drive you crazy.

Photo cred: http://nichehacks.com/ Here’s an idea to have some fun watching the U.S. Open next month. Get together with a bunch of friends and put some money into a “pool” in which the winner collects the entire share. I’ve been involved in golf pools for several years, usually involving 20 teams, each investing $10 a piece. We each pick four players, but to make it interesting we automatically eliminate the major contenders such as Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. These two will automatically be considered favorites to win, along with Jason Day. The winning team is the one with the lowest score.