Q: Many players say The Players Championship is like the Tour's fifth major. What would it take for it to somehow become a major?
— Patrick Sullivan, Orlando, Fla.

You would need the universal blessing of the players and the media. But since neither is likely to happen, consider The Players Championship to be advertised as “the fifth major” for the next hundred years or so. What the four majors have going for themselves that The Players Championship can never have is basic, unfiltered history. The British Open goes back to 1860, the U.S. Open to 1895, the PGA Championship to 1916. The Players Championship? It dates back to 1974, though truthfully it didn’t come into public view until the Stadium Course came on in 1982. Man-made window dressings (total purse, winner’s checks, glitzy courtesy cars) don’t qualify tournaments for major status; historical timeframe does.

Q: I am a 10-handicapper, and I'd like to think that my golf game is improving each day. My natural ball flight is a slight draw, but I have difficulty playing a fade. I was wondering what kind of slight adjustments I might be able to make so I can work on it at the range?
— Alex Vitale, Severna Park, Maryland

In all due respect, Alex, if you were to watch me play, you’d never be asking such a question. I would suggest you ask your local club pro, but my hunch is, you need to reduce the amount of wrist roll and try to follow-through with a more upright swing.

Q: I have been around golf all my life, but I am really puzzled by Johnny Miller's term, "The Fall Line." What the heck is the fall line on a green?
— Mike Daley, The Villages, Fla.

Mike, join a very large group, because there are lots of us who think Johnny is a bit over-the-top with this one. The term “fall line” makes sense in alpine skiing and is quite common there, but in golf? Only Johnny seems to like using it. From what I can determine, he is referring to the slope of the green so that if you simply let the ball roll out of your hand, it would naturally follow the direction of the “fall line.” Then again, maybe that’s not what he means, but don’t fret, because we’re not even sure Johnny knows what he’s referring to on this point.

Q: How do TV commentators know exactly what club the player is hitting?
— Jeb Johnson, Maryland

Jeb, it's an established understanding between players, their caddies, and the TV networks, specifically roving reporters such as David Feherty and Roger Maltbie. Once the player decides on which club to hit, the caddie will signal to the TV folks. In most cases it's a shot requiring less than a 5-iron, so one finger means 6-iron, two fingers means 7-iron, etc. When it gets to wedge territory, it's somewhat trickier, because there can be as many as three or four wedges in the bag. In such instances, the reporters often times know the players and their tendencies and can make a pretty good guess at which wedge (pitching, gap, sand, lob, or something even more extreme, like the 64-degree).

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