Package delivery company FedEx, title sponsor of next year’s “FedExCup” on the PGA Tour, has gotten an early jump on things this year with the “FedEx Reliability Zone.” If you’ve watched televised golf this year, you’ve no doubt seen the “FERZ.” Displayed on par 4s and 5s, the FERZ is a purple shaded area about 270 yards to 310 yards from the tee and spanning the entire width of the fairway. Roughly the size of smaller states such as Vermont, announcers use the FERZ as a means of displaying just how important it is to find the fairway. Oftentimes, the purple haze is used to illustrate stats such as these:
Location Scoring Average From Inside Zone 3.87 From Outside Zone 4.12
Unfortunately, staff member and Golf Talk host Jeff Smith suffered 
Arguably the best ball striker of all time, Ben Hogan has become a legend. Even before his playing days ended in 1971 Hogan had become a folk hero for surviving a serious car accident and continuing to play. His 1-iron into the 18th green at Merion Golf Club is perhaps the most famous shot in golf and occured after the violent crash.
OK, so wearing the Bionic Glove won’t make you Col. Steve Austin, The Six Million Dollar Man, but it can make those aching hands feel invincible. I live in Arizona where the heat is dry but intense and your hands sweat. A lot. All that sweat running down your arms, all that wiping of the brow, it leaves my hands wet and ruins gloves after a couple rounds. So I’ve learned to play without gloves for sake of not buying them by the dozen. However, I miss the extra grip that gloves provide and will use them in milder weather.
Tiger, Phil, Retief, Vijay, and Ernie. They will all be in Georgia in less than one week, ready to tackle the new and (cough, ahem) “improved” Augusta. While you’re busy contemplating your fantasy team rosters, I’ve compiled a few statistics on these “big five” that may interest you.
Are you a golf equipment nut? The type of gearhead who is on the cutting edge of the latest clubs and balls? If you are, and you like to write, I have one more question for you: would you like to join the staff of The Sand Trap and write the Bag Drop, our weekly equipment feature?
There may be another stop on the PGA Tour this week, but c’mon, who is thinking about The BellSouth Classic right now? Here at The Sand Trap we’re in full Masters mode. We’re checking the quality of our HD signals, we’re buying snacks and timing how long it takes to get to the refrigerator and bathroom and back to the couch, and we’ve put all of our family and friends on alert: we cannot be bothered a certain four days next week.
The 
The third annual