PGA Championship Update

Good Afternoon. Welcome to Shanks. The only golf newsletter on earth.

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

• Update: PGA Championship

• LIV Will No Longer Share TV Numbers

• Golf Shots Heard Round The World

• Day 2 Pin Locations

• Scotty Cameron Giveaway

• Golf Thing We'd Buy If We Weren't Broke

Update: PGA Championship

We are coming to you live from Oak Hill, NY and the PGA Championship is in full swing. The first round ended before they could finish, which is a constant problem for PGA events, so a few groups are putting the finishing touches on their first round as we write this.

Eric Cole was the outright leader when the day ended yesterday, but got up early to finish his first round this morning and started with a double.

Bryson Dechambeau (-4) now sits alone on the top of the leaderboard.

I can't imagine the PGA Tour is thrilled with two LIV golfers leading at a major championship.. AGAIN. You know who should be thrilled though? Golf Fans.

Just like at The Masters, allowing the LIV guys to play in the other majors has lead to a level of drama and intrigue that golf has never seen before. It's fun to watch it unfold.

The other winner of the day was the golf course itself.

Oak Hill is beastly.

Golf is always better when the pros struggle. Here are some names that currently sit OVER par after round one.

Jon Rahm, Cam Young, Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns, Jason Day, Max Homa, Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed, Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka, Cam Smith, and Phil Mickelson.

Speaking of Patrick Cantlay, remember when we said to bet him on Wednesday?

That's what we get for betting on the world's slowest golfer. Never again.

Scottie Scheffler had his first bogey-free round in a major.

Dustin Johnson is looking locked in.

Club Pro Michael Block is sitting T2 at -3. How cool would it be to see him win?

Rory looks miserable, but is 5 off the lead.

This thing is up for grabs.

Shanks Picks Update:

We made a bunch of picks on Wednesday. We aren't dead yet, but it's not looking good.

You can read those picks here. Jon Rahm is like +10000 after his disastrous first round if you think he can storm back.

LIV Will No Longer Release TV Ratings

LIV sources confirmed to the Hot Mic that the league would not be reporting viewership data from its U.S. broadcasts moving forward but declined to explain why.

In LIV’s most recent ratings report in late March, the league showed audience numbers slumping by 24 percent week-over-week, from 537,000 average viewers in its season-opening broadcast in Mexico to 409,000 in its second event in Tucson, Ariz. …

The decision marks a significant departure from the strategy outlined just months ago by the league’s chief media officer, Will Staeger. Days after LIV signed its agreement with the CW in January, Staeger told GOLF.com the league would “certainly” provide publicly available viewership information, adding public data was “critical to all of our plans.”

Read Full Story Here.

Golf Shots Heard Round The World

The Bryson Experience: A piece from No Laying Up reflecting on how fun it is when one of golfs most eccentric players is playing well.

Phil Gets Heckled: The salt of the earth folks here in Western NY have let Phil hear it. 

Covered In Mud: Tom Kim got a lil messy yesterday.

Look At These Pins

GIVEAWAY

We are giving away TWO Scotty Cameron putters. You can sign up here.

After you sign up, you get a custom link to get your friends to sign up for Shanks.

Every time one of your buddies signs up, you earn an extra chance to win.

Golf Thing We'd Buy If We Weren't Broke

Just outside of Dallas, Omni has opened the PGA Frisco Resort. Situated on a former 660-acre ranch, the golf-focused getaway is an enthusiast's playground, featuring anything from an 18-hole championship golf course and a 10-hole par-3 to a 2-acre putting course.

Accommodations include 500 guest rooms and suites or ten four-bedroom ranch houses with views over the golf course and a VIP concierge. When not on the course, guests can lounge around the property's four pools, indulge in a massage at the full-service Mokara Spa, or hand out at the Lounge by Topgolf. There are multiple dining options depending on your mood, including a steak house, quick-serve fare, casual dining, and a barn-inspired venue with local beers and hitting bays.

That's all folks! Drink responsibly.