Good Morning! Welcome to Shanks. The Players Championship is just 12 days away and The Masters begins in 37 days. We can’t wait for major championship level golf.

Golf Fact: According to Kyle Porter from CBS: Gary Player played in a record 52 Masters. In his first one, he played against Jock Hutchison, who was born in 1884. In his last one, he played against Rory McIlroy, who was born 105 years after Hutchison in 1989.

Here's what we've got for ya today:

• Quick Update: The Cognizant Classic

• Will Rory Go To LIV?

• Shot Of The Week

• Shots Heard Round The World

• The Dreaded Six Putt

• Thing We’d Buy If We Weren’t Broke

Quick Update: The Cognizant Classic

A Clustered Leaderboard

How about Bud Cauley?

He was injured in a car crash in 2018 and has had to battle his way back to the Tour. He’s made just three starts in 4.5 years and now he’s sitting atop the leaderboard in solo first place at 11-under. Pretty darn good.

Right behind Cauley on the leaderboard sit Garrick Higgo and Austin Eckroat, both at 10-under.

Kevin Yu and Victor Perez are two off the lead and T4 at nine-under.

From there, it get’s extra clustered. There are eight players tied at 8-under par. That group includes Shane Lowry, Rory McIlroy, Jake Knapp, and Cam Young.

The first edition of The Cognizant Classic is setting up for a tight finish and we are here for some Sunday drama.

What about everybody else?

Our pre-tourney pick to win, Tom Kim, is currently T-18 and five off of the lead at 6-under. Let’s see what he can do on moving day.

Chris Kirk, who won here last year, Billy Horschel, and rookie Nick Dunlap are all five-under and still in contention.

Shanks Picks Recap

Much to our surprise, it looks like Sepp Straka is going to miss the cut. Tough day two for him in the winds at PGA National.

Winner: Tom Kim

As mentioned, Tom is very much alive and has a chance to win this thing. He’s only five off of the leader Bud Cauley.

Top Five: Shane Lowry

Shane is performing well, just as we expected him to at PGA National. It’ll be a tight finish but he is currently T6. This would be a nice one.

Top Ten: Sepp Straka

Missed cut.

Top Twenty: Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Missed cut as well.

Longshot: Bobby Mac

Well, our longshot pick made the cut, but that’s about all we can say. He is 9 strokes off the lead and that’s likely insurmountable.

Make The Cut Parlay: That’s a winner again and this time at +298. Chris Kirk, Ben An, Shane Lowry, and Keith Mitchell all made the cut.

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Will Rory Go To LIV?

Last week, Rory’s former agent, while speaking to Bunkered, said he thought there was a chance we could see Rory go to LIV.

He originally put it at 10%.

“Rory is of the ilk that he’ll say something because he likes to have an opinion but he’s quite happy to apologise for it and that’s what he’s done,” the 70-year-old added. “If you were being cynical, you might say he’s going to sign for about £750million in a month’s time with LIV because he’s paving the way that LIV’s okay now, whereas it wasn’t. 

“Who knows? He doesn’t need £750m but it’s odd what he’s done and I’m sure it’s a possibility. If he does it or not, I don’t know, but if Rahm can do it, most guys can do it. “

Rory was asked about his former agents comments this week, as you can see in the video above.

“I think he’s writing a book, so there is that. I spoke to Chubby, I might have seen him in the Middle East at the start of the year.

“Never know. He might know a few things. Who knows?”

Shanks Says: Big smile, laughing it off, we put the chances at less than 5%.

Shot Of The Week

Shots Heard Round The World

ANTHONY KIM CARDS BACK TO BACK 76’S IN DEBUT

IAN POULTER SAYS “I’M NOT NEEDED”

VIKTOR HOVLAND SAYS GOLF “FEELS A LITTLE SOULLESS”

The Dreaded Six Putt

Thing We'd Buy If We Weren't Broke

Inflation got these golf clubs by the balls. Haha, I’m just kidding, I have no idea why this Honma set is $70,000.

It could be that its made with the highest-quality sheet metal hybrid Armour Technology and composite carbon. Maybe it’s the counter-balance designs for added clubhead speed and control. Or the absurd L-CUP face and Radial structure for bigger carry and high trajectory, optimum spin, and increased repulsion.

Or it could be that it’s made with gold and has super intricate designs. It looks like a club set made for DJ Khaled.

Check out the $70,000 Honma BERES Aizu 5-Star Set here!

That’s all folks! See you Monday.