Dave Pelz, a renowned golf instructor and innovator, died Sunday at his Dripping Springs, Texas, home. He was 85.
Pelz started his career as NASA scientist, but later became a golf researcher, revolutionizing how the game is taught, played and understood, especially with aspects of the short game. He was one of the first to scientifically analyze the short game as the primary factor in scoring success, uncovering that almost 80% of shots lost to par happen within 100 yards of the hole.
