"Let’s be honest — this game can feel a little distant at times," Thomas told his fellow players. He had ideas for how to bridge that gap.

It’s been a season of close calls so far in this column. That continued last week with three of our experts on Ludvig Aberg at Torrey Pines, where we felt pretty good heading into the weekend. Some stomach issues and vomiting mid-round were not part of our handicap,