Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you play smarter, better golf.

Everyone wants to get better at golf. Even the best players in the world are always looking for any edge they can find to shoot lower scores.

The problem with most recreational golfers is that they don’t fully understand why they shoot higher scores than better players. Sure, they recognize the macro-level differences — longer drives, closer approaches, fewer putts — but they don’t always understand how better golfers consistently put themselves in position for success.

The latest Arccos Annual Distance Report shed light on this topic, and it all starts with accuracy off the tee.

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1 big difference between good and bad golf

As you might expect, low-handicap golfers are more accurate off the tee than their high-handicap counterparts. But the gap between the two is smaller than you might think.

According to Arccos’ data, low single-digit handicaps (0–5) hit 50 percent of fairways across all age groups, while high-handicap players (30+) hit 40 percent. So, over the course of an average round, a low-handicap player will hit only one or two more fairways than a high-handicap playing partner.

That’s likely a much smaller discrepancy than you expected (it certainly surprised me). But if you dig a little deeper into the data, you’ll see the biggest difference between these groups comes from the severity of their misses.

Wayward drive percentage

The table above charts the percentage of wayward drives across handicap groups, and it highlights one of the clearest differences between good and bad golfers.

According to Arccos, a “wayward drive” is any tee shot that results in either a penalty stroke or a recovery situation, such as a punch-out or layup. And as the chart shows, better golfers hit far fewer wayward drives than higher-handicap players.

A low-handicap golfer hits only about 12 percent of tee shots into this wayward category, while high-handicap golfers hit 45 percent of their drives wayward. Over a typical round, that means a low-handicap player hits only one or two drives into serious trouble. A high-handicap player, on the other hand, hits six or seven wayward drives — nearly half of all tee shots.

So what does this mean for you? If you want to shoot scores like a low-handicap golfer, you need to drive the ball like one — and that means keeping the ball in play. You don’t need to hit every fairway, but you do need to avoid the big miss. Do that consistently, and lower scores will follow.

Juveniles Uncertain Glory along with La Barrita faced mixed results at Warwick Farm, but opportunities in Queensland await both this winter.

Warwick Farm’s two-year-old fillies maiden could become a benchmark for Brisbane’s winter carnival, with the top finisher and third both earmarked for northern campaigns.

Tommy Berry guided Michael Freedman’s Uncertain Glory ($3.90) to claim the Ranvet Plate (1000m), prevailing by a long neck over Palmanova ($11), as favourite La Barrita ($3) stormed home third, beaten by a mere short half-head.

This Zoustar daughter Uncertain Glory debuted successfully, and Berry believes she will thrive over extended trips.

“The biggest query today was the 1000 metres. She will be better at 1100 and 1200,” Berry said.

“She was just a bit impatient in the gates. She was the same at the trials and she’s not pinging the barriers, but she has got good speed after that.

She got a little bit lost at the furlong, but I loved that when Kerrin McEvoy’s filly (La Barrita) came to her outside, she really knuckled down late.”

Michael Freedman did not attend, yet stable spokesperson Sophie Johnson shared that plans include possible Brisbane raids for the filly during the carnival.

“He’s got a couple of options and her owner is here and he’s quite keen on the idea of going to Queensland,” Johnson said.

From Victoria came La Barrita, handled by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, as a trial run before Queensland ambitions.

Denied the win, the filly nevertheless impressed by overcoming a wide draw and hitting the line hard.

“She did everything but win,” Calvin McEvoy said.

“She made a couple of mistakes and from a wide barrier, it was always going to be tough if she didn’t fly the gates.

We wanted to come here as a bit of a fact finding mission, hoping she could win and get the prizemoney for the $1 million Magic Millions race. That’s going to be a bit difficult now, but she is a filly that is going to love 1200 and 1400 metres.

It’s all a bit open now, but we are going to go to Queensland.”

The Magic Millions National 2YO Classic (1000m) takes place at the Gold Coast on May 18, while the Spirit Of Boom Classic (1200m) runs at Doomben two days beforehand.

For the latest racing odds on these key Brisbane events, head to trusted betting sites.

Angel Canino and the La Salle Lady Spikers during a game against NU Lady Bulldogs in the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball tournament Finals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Perfect in the elimination round and perfect in winning Game 1.

With that, La Salle is eyeing nothing but staying the same as the Lady Spikers try to wrap up the Season 88 UAAP women’s volleyball Finals against back-to-the-wall National University on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

A 13th title in a spotless 16-0 campaign is within reach and the Lady Spikers won’t let their guard down against a bounce-back-seeking Lady Bulldogs in their 5 p.m. duel as NU tries to keep a “three-peat” bid alive.

Angel Canino, whose generational Rookie-MVP season three years ago was also the last time La Salle won a title, is determined to finish the season with a championship and add to the Lady Spikers’ rich winning tradition.

“I really want to end this in a good way, something we can be proud of,” said Canino in Filipino after delivering 17 points in a 25-23, 25-18, 25-18 Game 1 ripping of the Lady Bulldogs on Wednesday. She wants nothing but to end a two-year wait for another championship, especially after being swept by National U last season when Bella Belen and Alyssa Solomona still bannered the Bulldogs.

“Now, I’m trying to be more patient with myself and with my teammates,” Canino said. “I think that’s what will carry us to a championship, not just skills, but how we carry ourselves and handle everything so we can finish the season the right way.”

La Salle coach Ramil De Jesus reminds his wards, also bannered by Shevana Laput, Amie Provido, Shane Reterta and rookie setter Eshana Laput, not to be complacent, with the Lady Bulldogs looking to force a rubber match—which would be the first in the tournament since 2019 when Ateneo beat UST for the Season 81 crown.

“We’ll just stick to our preparation. NU doesn’t really change how they play, win or lose—they’re consistent,” De Jesus said as he tries to end the season of former player and now NU counterpart Regine Diego. “Their setter is very experienced, their spikers are solid and even their second stringers are strong.

“NU played really well, but our players just wanted it more,” said De Jesus, who eyes his second tournament sweep since 2004’s 14-0 run.

True enough, Diego won’t back down, as she and the Lady Bulldogs remain optimistic despite getting swept in Game 1.

“I knew they weren’t going to give it to us easily, which is why it was such a tough game,” Diego said. “But for sure, we’ll bounce back in the next one.”

Vange Alinsug, who had 12 points in Game 1, is eager to keep their “three-peat” bid alive.

“Right now, I’m just trying to lift up my teammates because I can see that we all want this badly,” said Alinsug. “We just need to play with even more heart. It’s not over yet. We still have work to do.

“We need to give even more, especially now that La Salle’s confidence is really high,” she added. “We have to polish the things we need to improve on. We really need to stay consistent, especially in the stretch.”

National U will continue to turn to Arah Panique, who led the team with 18 points and fifth-year setter Lams Lamina. Top rookie Sam Cantada, who struggled in her Finals debut with two points on a 1-of-18 attacking clip, vowed to show up.nu

Novak Djokovic at Italian Open© AFP

His departure wasn’t a true shocker, but the timing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s dismissal sure was. The Vikings waited roughly three weeks after the season’s conclusion to fire their general manager after four years and decided to postpone the search for a successor until the spring.

That search has indeed kicked off. An external search firm has been hired and the interviews will be conducted behind closed doors, unlike four years ago when the franchise announced each interview.

One guy who has removed himself entirely from any consideration is Broncos general manager George Paton. Minnesota’s former assistant executive under Rick Spielman’s watch has signed a contract extension in Denver.

On Friday, the Broncos wrote on their website, “The Denver Broncos have signed General Manager George Paton to a new five-year contract through the 2030 season, Owner and CEO Greg Penner announced Friday.”

Paton was employed in the Twin Cities for over a decade, but the Broncos offered him the promotion from assistant GM to GM in 2021 and he left TCO Performance Center. As his contract was set to expire, Paton’s name surfaced in early Vikings GM rumors in January and February, but ultimately stayed put. It’s unclear whether either party entertained a reunion.

The 56-year-old has overhauled Denver’s roster over the years and landing head coach Sean Payton was certainly a home run three years ago. His draft success has been up-and-down, but he undoubtedly found some impact players, headlined by Pat Surtain II.

The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider commented, “Broncos draft picks during Paton’s tenure have earned a combined nine Pro Bowl berths and five first-team All-Pro honors. Five of his draft picks since 2021 have signed second contracts with the team.”

He does, however, have some mistakes on his resume.

Kosmider added, “Paton’s two notable misfires came in 2022. A blockbuster trade for quarterback Russell Wilson — Denver sent Seattle five draft picks, including first-rounders in the 2022 and 2023 drafts — netted only 11 wins in 30 starts over two seasons before the veteran was released. Nathaniel Hackett, Paton’s first head-coach hire in 2022, was fired after 15 games in his debut season.”

Wilson’s and Hackett’s tenures were a disaster. Adding Wilson could have fit Minnesota’s quarterback track record. Yet, under Paton’s guidance, with new owners and a new head coach, the organization has rebounded and made the trip to the AFC title game in January. The Broncos lost a close game to the New England Patriots, while quarterback Bo Nix was sidelined with a fractured ankle.

Long story short, Paton won’t be the man in charge of Minnesota’s football operations. Following Adofo-Mensah’s exit, the Vikings relied on Rob Brzezinski’s experience, having pulled the strings behind the scenes for decades. He is expected to be a strong candidate for the full-time job.

In the meantime, the Vikings have six outside candidates on their list.

Vikings writer Alec Lewis (The Athletic) reported this week, “The Minnesota Vikings entered the next phase of their general manager search Wednesday. According to league sources, the team submitted interview requests for six external candidates, all of whom are assistant general managers for their respective teams: Terrance Gray of the Buffalo Bills, John McKay of the Los Angeles Rams, Nolan Teasley of the Seattle Seahawks, Chad Alexander of the Los Angeles Chargers, RJ Gillen of the San Francisco 49ers and Dave Ziegler of the Tennessee Titans.”

It’s easy to evaluate coordinators who are head-coaching candidates because their influence is directly visible on the screen on Sundays, but it’s always a mystery from the outside what assistant GMs actually do in their respective franchises. It’s anyone’s guess who the top candidates are.

There’s a good chance the operations will get a new leader in the next few weeks or months.

Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt

Although Saturday’s Tour d’Horse Sprint over Caulfield doesn’t align with Bustling’s original buying intent, trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr have moved past being finicky with the one-time West Australian star.

The four-year-old embarks on his first run in nearly 20 months in the 1000-metre $130,000 benchmark 84.

Acquired for a hefty price, his only prior appearance for Price and Kent was a ninth-place finish, eighth of nine, in the Group 2 Run To The Rose back in September 2024, plagued by various ailments since.

This race pales against the lofty goal of The Everest for which the son of Frosted was intended, yet Price is content just to witness his return.

“He had some bone problems and just assorted different niggles,” Price said.

“We keep getting him up, then we keep giving him time, we keep getting him up then we keep giving him time.

“But everyone’s done a good job with him and he’s now as right as we can have him.”

Bustling entered the Run To The Rose unbeaten in four of five previous races, triumphs including Group 2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m), Group 3 WA Sires Produce Stakes (1400m), Listed Perth Stakes (1100m), and a second.

Recent form shows a third in Cranbourne’s 800m jumpout on April 6 and a strong 850m trial success at Caulfield Heath April 23.

Mark Zahra, aboard for those hit-outs, sticks with the ride Saturday as Bustling leads betting at $4.40.

Not enamoured by Victoria’s rainfall this week, Price believes a better-than-Soft 6 track on Thursday would boost Bustling’s outlook.

“He’s a happy horse, he’s big, strong and he’s grown a lot since his two-year-old days,” Price said.

“He is one horse who hates the wet, but he is ready to run well.”

Head to betting sites for racing odds on Bustling in the Tour d’Horse Sprint.

DENVER (AP) — The president and governor of the Denver Nuggets said Friday his faith in coach David Adelman remains strong despite the team’s first-round flop in the playoffs but he indicated a roster overhaul could happen just as much as the team running it back largely intact.

“I have full faith in Coach Adelman,” Josh Kroenke said at a news conference at Ball Arena. “And I think he coached a hell of a season, all things considered.”

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The Nuggets finished third in the Western Conference at 54-38, behind Oklahoma City and San Antonio. They took a 12-game winning streak into the playoffs but were bounced in six games by the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, who showed more toughness and tenacity.

The Nuggets were without Aaron Gordon (calf) for most of that series and Peyton Watson (hamstring) for all six games, continuing a season-long trend in which all their starters and most of their key reserves missed long stretches with injuries.

Counting the playoffs, Nuggets players missed 245 combined games last season.

While lamenting the injury epidemic, Kroenke said he liked the makeup of the team heading into the season and suggested he might just run it back with most of the same players in 2026-27.

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But he also indicated that he’d consider trading anyone on the roster other than superstar Nikola Jokic as he tries to capitalize on the three-time MVP’s remaining tenure in Denver.

Fellow All-Star Jamal Murray would draw the most interest and assets in return.

Jokic is eligible this summer to sign a four-year maximum contract extension projected to be worth up to $290 million, and he has indicated he aims to sign the deal.

The Nuggets went 10-6 during a stretch early in the season when Jokic was out, and Kroenke was asked if that helped solidify Adelman’s job security.

“I think that that’s a real testament to what D.A. and the group did when Nikola went down,” Kroenke said. “I think that’s when D.A. and his staff really shined, some of the creative looks that they were doing with our lineups.”

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A year ago, Adelman replaced Michael Malone late in the season and led the Nuggets to a first-round win over the Los Angeles Clippers before losing to Oklahoma City in seven games in Round 2. Afterward, the Nuggets hired Ben Tenzer as executive vice president of basketball operations and Jonathan Wallace as executive vice president of player personnel, basically splitting the job of former GM Calvin Booth, who was fired along with Malone.

Tenzer and Wallace dealt Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn for Cam Johnson and added much-needed depth, notably with the additions of Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr.

Kroenke complimented his lieutenants “for pressing a lot of the right buttons last summer,” and suggested that if the team had stayed healthy, “this could be a 60- to 65-win team.”

“But we never got a chance to fully show it. And that’s why I say everything has to be on the table, including running it back. Because I really do believe in the group of people that were assembled in there this year,” Kroenke said.

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A big factor is finances. The Nuggets will face significant financial pressure heading into next season as their starting lineup as it stands tops $184 million in salary, including extensions for Christian Braun and Gordon that kick in next season.

Braun had an injury-filled season and didn’t live up to his big extension he signed last offseason, but that deal complicates Denver’s hopes of re-signing Peyton Watson, who could command $20 million or more annually.

“Peyton had a great year,” Tenzer said. “He obviously grew a lot. I said it at the beginning of the season, we hope Peyton’s a Nugget for a very long time, he’s been great for us.”

The Nuggets also hope Gordon can get healthy. He’s been hurt each of the last two years in the playoffs, and that in turn affects the game of All-Stars Jokic and Murray.

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“We have to all look in the mirror and say, ‘A.G., how can we help you?’” Kroenke said. “Because when he’s healthy, we all look better, you know, from myself on down to our training staff and so, you know, A.G., is a wonderful person like I said. We’re gonna have to have some challenging conversations about how we can all get better.”

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA