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It has been nearly two months since Andrew Landry struck a shot in a PGA golf tournament. Best case scenario, it will be a least another week before the Port Neches-Groves ex is able to return to competition.

What he refers to as an internal shoulder impingement in both shoulders has kept Landry sidelined longer than any point in his professional career. He tried to play through the problem but after five consecutive missed cuts – four of them in early 2022 – he opted for rest and treatment.

“It’s been kind of a weird deal,” he said. “When my arms are over my head, there’s a tendon that gets a little pinched. If I just reached for something, there would be pain. But I had an MRI that came back clean. I’m to the point where the left shoulder feels pretty good but there is still a problem with the right one.”

“Nobody has been able to tell me a cause. I’d get in the middle of my backswing and it would be like someone put a knife in my arm. I’ve been dealing with it since January. Trying to play through the pain was probably a mistake. I will tell you this. Being injured has put some things in perspective.”

The injury threw a roadblock into what looked like a promising 2021-22 season for Landry. He had a T4 and a T7 in five starts during the 2021 portion of the schedule and was high on the Fed Ex points chart. Now, having missed six tournaments, he’s tumbled to 143.

“The good news is I’m getting better,” he said. “Making the playoffs is still 100 percent realistic if things continue to improve. My target at this point is to come back for the Byron Nelson. If not then, I’ll shoot for Colonial the week after the PGA. But I won’t play until I’m 100 percent healthy.”

While Landry seems to be close to returning, such is not the case for PNG’s other tour regular, Chris Stroud. Sidelined by back woes in late February, then set back even further by wrist surgery, Stroud had also been hoping to return at the Nelson.

That is no longer the case. The wrist has not responded as quickly as Stroud had hoped. Unable to get his swing speed back up, the former Lamar All-America said Monday he might not be able to play again until sometime in July.

CHIP SHOTS: Babe Zaharias pro Mitch Duncan has the kind of dilemma next Monday and Tuesday anyone teaching young golfers would love to confront. Duncan, whose skills working with juniors was documented in this space a couple of weeks ago, needs to clone himself to keep up with his students who have qualified for the state tournament.

There are five in all – Orangefield’s Xander and Lincoln Parks and Kelly’s Drew Turley, Cade Brocato and Annabel Cardenas. The events are on the same day, with the Parks boys playing in the 4A state tournament at Legends Golf Club in Kingsland and the Kelly trio headed to the TAAPs 6A tourney at Wildflower CC in Temple.

Unfortunately for Duncan, the courses are roughly 90 minutes apart. So, what’s a guy who wants to follow each of his pupils to do?

“Looks like I’ll be doing some traveling,” he says with a laugh.

The obvious solution is spending one day in Temple and one in Kingsland. Of the five players, Orangefield junior Xander Parks looks to have the best chance of winning a medal. So, Duncan will likely be in Kingsland on Tuesday.

In the Monday Senior 50 Plus 2 ball at Zaharias, the team of Jim Cady, Tony Trevino, Rusty Hicks and Larry Foster won the front by posting 6 under. On the back, the team of Ron LaSalle, Raymond Darbonne, Jeff Rinehart and Dan Flood prevailed with minus 1.

Closest to the pin winners were Rinehart (No. 2), John House (No. 7), Aubrey Ward (No. 12) and Rick Pritchett (No. 15).

Saturday’s Super Senior 2 ball at Zaharias, saw the foursome of Brian Mirabella, Kenny Robbins, Hicks and Randy Trahan take the front with minus 7. Minus 4 was the winning number on the back for the team of Ed Holley, Derek Wolf, Larry Johnson and Tom Brown.

In the Thursday 2 ball at Zaharias, the team of Ward, Hicks, Art Turner and Ron Mistrot took the front with minus 5. That was also the winning number on the back for the foursome of Ted Freeman, Bob Byerly, Bobby Wactor and Harrell Guidry.

The Wednesday Zaharias DogFight was played in an all-points-count format. Emerging on top with 28 points was the team of Darbonne, Dwayne Morvant, Don MacNeil and Dwayne Benoit. There was a tie for second at 24 points between teams captained by Gary Whitfill and Holley.

Closest to the pin winners were Mistrot (No. 2), MacNeil (No. 7, No. 15) and Richard Menchaca (No. 12).

Austin Williams at 5 Under Golf Center in Beaumont has an offer that looks tough to refuse for anyone interested in a Titleist (May 4), Cobra (May 12), Sirxion/Cleveland (May 20) or Callaway (May 28) club fitting.

Anyone who signs up and goes through one of the club fittings will receive a $100 gift card. Hours of all the fittings are noon to 5 p.m. To sign up, call 409 232-0205.

Golf news should be e-mailed to rdwest@usa.net.