NORTON, Mass. – Opinions have ranged from simply bad to downright awful this week as players have gotten a look at the redesigned 12th hole at TPC Boston.
From Dustin Johnson to Paul Casey, players have questioned why officials had Gil Hanse redesign the 12th and 13th holes. In specific, they have taken issue with a collection of fairway bunkers on 12 that first force players to carry the ball more than 260 yards but no further than 300 yards, where a pair of principal’s nose-like bunkers await.
On Thursday at the Dell Technologies Championship, Hanse explained the need for the tinkering and the philosophy behind the changes.
“Part of what we didn’t like about the two holes was the distance from 12 to 13 tee. It was a big jigsaw puzzle,” he said. “What we came up with is connecting that ridge, and looking at where that landform fell and how it made sense naturally.
“It would be right where the longest hitters that, if we kept that all fairway, would be catching that downslope and g..

NORTON, Mass. – Last week, before the playoffs began, most players figured the race for the PGA Tour Player of the Year Award was down to two – Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.
Although those players – who both have won majors this season and have four (Thomas) and three (Spieth) overall victories – remain in the hunt for the Jack Nicklaus Award, Dustin Johnson’s victory at the postseason opener has expanded the conversation.
On Thursday at the Dell Technologies Championship, Spieth figured the race was down to four – Thomas, Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama and himself.
“If the four of us finish 20th here on in, it's probably Justin's,” Spieth said. “It's very much in the air.”
Dell Technologies Championship: Articles, video and photos
Current FedExCup Playoff points standings
If Johnson, who currently leads the playoff points race, were to win the FedExCup, for some (including Spieth) that would make DJ the frontrunner for Player of the Year, with four victories, includ..

It's not a comeback, but it's a start.
Tiger Woods tweeted a video Thursday afternoon showing that he's back to work on the practice green, as his doctors have approved him to return to hitting pitch shots:
Dr. gave me the ok to start pitching pic.twitter.com/tboq1L3Xdn
— Tiger Woods (@TigerWoods) August 31, 2017 Woods has not hit a competitive shot since withdrawing from the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February, citing back spasms. He subsequently underwent lumbar fusion surgery in April, which he later explained brought “instant nerve relief” after three prior back surgeries failed to alleviate his ongoing pain.
Woods made off-course headlines in May when he was arrested for driving under the influence. While he had not been drinking alcohol, a toxicology report later revealed that Woods was under the influence of multiple prescription medications. In July, he tweeted that he had completed a “private intensive program” to address his medication use.
Woods, who wi..