Things you might have missed in 2017

What a year 2017 has been in golf!

We have been treated to four separate major winners, a rookie Player of the Year on the European Tour, the Americans easing to victory in the Presidents Cup and a new world number one - to name just a few noteworthies.

Just last week we had a look at our most vivid golfing memories from a year jam-packed with possible contenders. This time around we are focusing on stories that may have passed most of us by over the past twelve months.

Let's have a look at what we've come up with.

Willett loses PGA Tour card

In what has been a difficult 18 months since his unbelievable experience at the 2016 Masters, Danny Willett has struggled on the PGA Tour - so much so that he has failed to retain playing privileges into 2018.

Severe back pain that may require surgery at some point next year added to the undoubted pressure of being a newly-crowned major champion, have all contributed to a year which has failed to live up to the sky-high standards of 2016.

The Englishman will focus on the familiar surroundings of the European Tour to help rebuild his game and to ensure he doesn't join the list of obscure one-major wonders when he puts away the clubs in years to come.

Check out the recent interview below where Danny speaks openly and honestly about his struggles since that glorious Sunday 18 months ago in Augusta, Georgia:

Michael Greller's scorecard

We all saw the drama unfold, but did you see the scorecard?

Cool heads were called for when Jordan Spieth hammered his drive 100 yards right from the 13th tee-box and into some pretty deep trouble.

When he had received clarification from tournament officials that the driving range was in play, he called upon his looper to provide some sort of yardage.

Ever the professional, Greller provided as accurate a number as he could given the circumstances, and it was some 40 yards short of Spieth's own calculations. Thankfully, the Texan put faith in his bagman and landed just short of the green.

The scorecard gives us some indication of the trouble the pair had deducing the yardage.

14-year-old winner on LET

Flying somewhat under the radar this year, there was a record-breaking moment during the inaugural Ladies European Thailand Championship when Atthaya Thitikul became the youngest ever winner on the Ladies European Tour (LET) at just 14 years, four months and 19 days old.

In winning the tournament by two strokes, Thitikul displaced the previous record holder Lydia Ko, who herself was just 14 years and eight months old when securing her first title on the Tour.

Ko would go on to become both the youngest player of either gender to become world number one and the youngest female major champion so, we'd say, that's quite good company to keep.

Can't believe that a 14-year old is winning on Tour? Us either, but here's the proof:

Sang-Moon Bae returns from military service

This year also saw the return to professional golf of Sang-Moon Bae, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour.

After around 20 months of compulsory military service, the South Korean made his competitive reappearance at the Shinhan Donghae Open on the Korean Tour before teeing it up at the 2017/18 PGA Tour curtain-raiser - the Safeway Open

Bae has a special two-year exemption on Tour which will hopefully allow for the recapturing of his tournament-winning form which, by the way, you can catch a reminder of below.

Si Woo Kim youngest Players Champ

On the theme of 'youngest ever', South Korean Si Woo Kim became the youngest winner of the Players Championship, the PGA Tour's unofficial 'fifth major'.

At the age of 21, the South Korean headed the field by three strokes and secured his second win on Tour, while picking up a tasty $1.9M in the process. Nice work, if you can get it!

Catch the winning putt below:

What are your more low-flying memories of the 2017 golfing year? Let us know below.