The fear that gripped Gary Woodland in the weeks after the 2023 Masters indicated something was seriously wrong. And wrong it was. In August, an MRI report revealed he had developed a lesion in his brain. In September, doctors cut a baseball-sized hole in his skull to remove the tumor.

But of course, nothing could hold Gary Woodland back. Quite fittingly, he earned the PGA Tour Courage Award early this year. Now another honor follows. On Friday, his alma mater, Kansas University, inducted Woodland into the KU Athletics Hall of Fame.

Besides the four PGA Tour titles, a U.S. Open, two All-Big 12 selections, and four NCAA regional qualifications, Woodland was honored for his selflessness and leadership. Quietly, he invested personal funds to revamp the Jayhawks’ world-class golf facility.

But you won’t hear a word from his mouth about it. Rather, from the podium, he spent the time talking about everyone but himself. It figures. He has answered every question about his illness with a smile.

Listen to him cracking jokes about how the news of his brain tumor made Justin Thomas miss the cut.

That’s Gary Woodland. Always in good spirits and grateful. He is already a member of the Kansas Golf Hall of Fame, following in Tom Watson's footsteps. He is a 2017 inductee of the Topeka Sports Hall of Fame. KU athletic director Travis Goff is right: Gary Woodland has “one heck of a legacy”.

And the story's far from over. Next week, Gary will take on a new role at Bethpage as part of the Ryder Cup crew, joining Keegan Bradley's team as a vice captain. Just two years ago, he was battling death. Now, Woodland is thriving on his own turf.

What if the Ryder Cup team selection format were revamped? Ten automatic qualifiers and two captain’s picks? That’s what two-time Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson has suggested. Just two statements were enough to kick up a storm: “Personally, I think six is way too many,” and “I don’t think that’s the right way to do it.”

Not the only Ryder Cup problem he addressed. Listen to his pointed remarks on the contentious pay-for-play issue. But of course, his suggestion for a format change caused more vigorous debate. Especially after the Maverick McNealy decision from Keegan.

Maverick was the highest-ranked player (10th) left off the team, despite racking up seven top-10 finishes this year. Meanwhile, Cantlay earned the captain’s nod. Now, Cantlay brings experience, but his pace of play might turn the crowd against him. One fan even timed Cantlay assessing a lie. Just watch the clip below for the staggering result:

So Cantlay’s pick was quite surprising and went on to lend some credibility to Watson’s point. Ironically, in the previous edition, Keegan Bradley himself became a casualty of the six captain’s picks. Justin Thomas got the chance instead of Bradley (10th), and even JT later felt guilty watching Bradley’s reaction to that infamous call.

The American team increased captain’s picks from four to six in 2021. The Europeans followed suit, and this system remains in place today. Watson would rather have the original format return — make everyone earn their way in. Bradley is yet to share his take, but interestingly, if this system were in place, he and McNealy would have been the ones teeing off at Bethpage Black next week. Not Cantlay.

If ‘Shank’ is the most dreaded five-letter word in golf, ‘Whiff’ surely takes the second spot. Funnily, it’s not just us weekend warriors. Just watch this pro golfer completely missing the ball that left even the commentators at a loss for words. Now, the question is, does it get counted as a stroke? And more importantly, do you get a penalty? Here is what the rule says:

• Intent matters: If you start the downswing and stop before hitting the ball, that’s not a stroke. But if you do miss the ball, it will add one stroke to your scorecard.

• Accidents don’t: Now, in case you accidentally clip the ball during a practice swing, it’s not counted as a stroke. But you might be red-faced just like Zach Johnson was after this goof-up:

• No penalties: You don’t incur a penalty for missing a stroke. The same goes for accidentally hitting the ball.

In Keita’s case, the DPWT decided that since he decided to stop and avoid hitting the ball, it wouldn’t count as a stroke. Not everyone was happy with the ruling, but then golf’s rules are rarely satisfying, as you can learn below:

Let's face it, golf fans are suckers for a charismatic player with a shaggy mane and a penchant for wearing his heart on his sleeve. Enter Neal Shipley. The 24-year-old was teeing off at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Championship at his alma mater's home course. And guess what broadcaster Shane Bacon and James Nitties did? Well, they ‘penned’ an ode to that signature mane — something you definitely wanna forward to your Golf WhatsApp group.

Tournament organizers even took it a step further by erecting a separate stand in his honor. To be precise, in honor of his floating locks. His trademark mullet-like mane isn't going away anytime soon, either. Shipley’s equipment sponsor has essentially barred him from trimming it off with this nifty clause. What to do other than celebrate it in the meantime?