News Grab-Bag: 4/2/2015

It's the week prior to The Masters, so naturally, we are filled with Masters news.

- Tiger Woods' airplane was spotted at the Augusta airport, fueling speculation that Tiger is going to be play at The Masters. No official confirmation has been made yet, but it seems unlikely that Tiger skips The Masters at this point.

- One of the traditions of The Masters takes a hit this year, as it was announced that Arnold Palmer will not be playing in the Par 3 Contest on Wednesday of The Masters. In recent years, Palmer has played with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player in the exhibition event, but Palmer suffered a separated shoulder back in December and doctors have advised him not to play. Palmer is still planning on hitting the ceremonial tee shot Thursday morning.

- Adam Scott's switch to a conventional putter has been halted, as he will be playing The Masters with his signature long putter. The anchoring ban goes into effect next year, so Scott has been trying to adapt to a smaller putter, but that has been a failed experiment thus far.

- Best wishes to Jason and Amanda Dufner, who are currently going through a divorce.

- Best wishes to Australian golfer Brett Rumford, who will be missing approximately six weeks after undergoing surgery for an intestinal blockage. Rumford is exempt into the 2015 Open Championship, so the hope is that he recovers by then.

- LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan, who has been praised for his revitalization of the LPGA Tour, just received a "long term" contract extension. The length of the new term is unknown, but given all the work Whan has done and the strides the Tour has taken since he took over, I expect he will have the job until he no longer wants it.

- A lot of sports leagues have come out in strong opposition to Indiana's incredibly homophobic "religious freedom" bill, including the NCAA and the NFL, who look to be removing significant events from the state while the law remains in effect. The PGA of America and PGA Tour? They punted the issue. The PGA was in a tough position, as a majority of their fans and players are conservative, but they would receive a lot of public backlash if they supported the bill. Still, "we support inclusion" is the weakest statement I have seen, especially from the PGA of America, whose most recent president once referred to a professional golfer as "a little girl."

- The May fitness edition of Golf Digest is out, and Lexi Thompson is the cover girl. You can find her pictures here. Lexi is the first female golfer to be on the cover of the fitness issue. I know Golf Channel are likely to droll all over the pictures, but there is no denying that Lexi is a striking woman, and very physically fit. Knock 'em dead, girl! The issue also features Michelle Wie, Cheyenne Woods, and Stacy Lewis.
Naturally, the Twitterverse has a real issue with the cover, saying that Golf Digest is "sexualizing" both golf and Lexi Thompson in particular. It is important to note, however, that Thompson seems incredibly pleased with the way the photos came out. I have had my issues with Golf Digest in the past, especially when they put non-golfers on the cover, but Lexi is a true athlete, and the photos show just how athletic she is. Let's pick our battles, people. If you want to be upset about sexism in golf, maybe be upset over the fact that female golfers make a fraction of what male golfers do in earnings and endorsements.