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ICYMI: The incredible story of a golf course artist freed from jail

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Since Max Adler of Golf Digest profiled convicted killer and golf artist Valentino Dixon in 2012, the Attica inmate has been on much of the golf audience’s collective radar.

It wasn’t just that Dixon, who never so much stepped onto a golf course in his life, dedicated himself to putting beautiful golf landscapes on paper, but rather, many, including Adler, believed he was wrongfully convicted. Jimmy Roberts, too, profiled Dixon, albeit in video form, and was of the same mind.

Adler and Roberts both played a small part in what happened this week, as the publicity generated by their work alerted wrongful conviction advocates to Dixon’s case: Dixon’s murder conviction was vacated.

It’s an incredible story of both justice served (albeit woefully late), and a surprising passion. If you’re unfamiliar with Dixon’s work, you can see some of it in this YouTube video by tinad426, presumably featuring the photos of his drawings taken by Golf Digest. (Many outlets refer to Dixon’s art as “paintings.” This is incorrect as his medium in colored pencil: he wasn’t allowed to use paint and paintbrushes)

“The guys [in prison] can’t understand,” Dixon said. “They always say I don’t need to be drawing this golf stuff. I know it makes no sense, but for some reason my spirit is attuned to this game.”

A quick recap of the case: Dixon had been serving a minimum 38-year-to-life sentence since August, 1991, for the shooting of 17-year-old Torriano Jackson, allegedly following an argument about a girl.

While Dixon admitted he was at the crime scene, he claimed was in a nearby liquor store at the time of the killing. Georgetown University’s Prisons and Justice Initiative found that a gunpowder test on Dixon’s clothes had come back negative and the prosecution failed to share the information with the defence.

Additionally, Lamarr Scott told local media he was in fact the shooter, and has maintained that he, not Dixon, was guilty in the years since.

He was never arrested for the crime. However, Scott, in jail for a separate crime, was given the opportunity to formally confess to the crime this week. He did so, and Dixon was exonerated hours later.

“Maybe he’ll even take up golf,” Golf Digest’s Max Adler quoted his subject of six years ago as saying.

Let’s hope he does.

 

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19th Hole

“Is it a Titleist?” – Jerry Seinfeld shares never-before-heard details of iconic scene

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On Thursday, legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld joined the Rich Eisen Show and shared an awesome story from a “Seinfeld” episode titled “The Marine Biologist.”

In the episode, a golf ball goes into the blow hole of a whale. According to Seinfeld, that was never in the episode’s script.

Seinfeld recalls saying the night before the filming of the episode, “What if what puts the whale in distress is Kramer’s golf ball?”

“He’s hitting golf balls at the beach. George is at the beach with a girl, we haven’t connected them!”

“We write that speech the night before at two o’clock in the morning…The sea was angry that day my friend.”

 

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A post shared by Rich Eisen (@richeisen)


Kramer finishes the iconic scene by asking “Is it a Titleist?” Seinfeld told Eisen the show sought Titleist’s permission to mention its name, saying the ball had to be a Titleist. Fortunately for lovers of the iconic show, the company agreed.

If (somehow) you’re unfamiliar with the scene, check it out below.

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19th Hole

Phil Mickelson drops big retirement hint; Says LIV will grow the game ‘on a much more global basis’

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While speaking with Bloomberg, golf legend Phil Mickelson acknowledged that he is inching close towards retirement.

“I’m 53 now,” Phil said, “and my career, you know, it’s — if I’m being truthful, it’s on — it’s — it’s — I’m a — it’s towards its end.”

Mickelson added that one of his focuses now is helping other young players.

“Now, I would like to help others find the same enjoyment and fulfillment that the game has provided me. I’d like them to experience that as well.”

The six-time major champion credited LIV with reaching new markets in golf to help it grow.

“I think that’s exciting for everyone involved in the game because we are going to reach markets that we didn’t reach before. I think it’s going to inspire more golf courses, inspire more manufacturers selling clubs and equipment, but also inspiring young kids to try to play golf professionally. I just see that the game of golf is going to grow on a much more global basis because of the excitement and the presence that LIV Golf has.”

Mickelson is playing at this week’s LIV Singapore and shot a first round 72 (+1).

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Tiger explains why golf has ‘negative connotations’ for daughter Sam

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While Tiger Woods’ son, Charlie, has certainly inherited his father’s love for golf, his daughter, Sam, has not.

On Wednesday, Tiger made an appearance on The Today Show with Carson Daly and explained his daughter’s relationship with golf.

“Golf has negative connotations for her. When she was growing up, golf took daddy away from her. I had to pack, I had to leave, and I was gone for weeks. So, there were negative connotations to it.

“We developed our own relationship and our own rapport outside of golf. We do things that doesn’t involve golf. Meanwhile, my son and I, everything we do is golf related.”

The nine-minute interview touches on plenty of other subjects, such as Tiger’s relationship with his late father, Earl.

It’s arguably the most open we’ve seen the 15-time major champion in an interview and is most definitely worth watching.

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