Day: June 3, 2017

Summerhays pushes ahead, Dufner falters at the MemorialSummerhays pushes ahead, Dufner falters at the Memorial

DUBLIN, Ohio — Daniel Summerhays shot a 4-under 68 that took him from a five-shot deficit to a three-shot lead Saturday in the Memorial. More than his solid round was a collapse by Jason Dufner, who lost his lead with four straight bogeys on the front nine and hit two balls in the water on the back nine for a 77. Dufner went from the 36-hole record to four shots out of the lead. At least he’s still in the game, and he has plenty of company. Summerhays was at 13-under 203. Matt Kuchar, who won the Memorial four years ago, ran off three straight birdies on the back nine and shot a 67 that gets him in the final group with Summerhays as he tries to end 82 PGA TOUR starts without a victory. The last three winners of the Memorial had never won on the PGA TOUR, and Summerhays fits that mold. The 33-year-old from Utah is in his seventh year. Bubba Watson overcame a heckler on the 18th hole with one last birdie for a 68. He was four shots behind along with Justin Thomas (69) and Dufner. Rickie Fowler (72) salvaged an up-and-down day and was five behind. But it all started with Dufner. “Today was pretty pathetic on all accounts, so have to play better tomorrow,” he said. It started on the second hole when Dufner missed the green to the left from the rough and took bogey. He missed a 6-foot par putt on the third, then hit into the right bunker on the par-3 4th and made another bogey. And then he three-putted the par-5 fifth for a fourth straight bogey. Dufner was still tied for the lead when his wedge on the par-5 11th spun back down the green and into the water, leading to double bogey. It was a three-shot swing when Summerhays made birdie, and Dufner never caught up. He had said his breathing exercises over putting didn’t mean he would always have good days, and this was a bad one. Dufner had a pair of three-putts, and he twice missed birdie putts from 6 feet. He capped off his day by pulling his tee shot into the water and making another bogey. “The tournament is not over,” Dufner said. “It will be over tomorrow.” Summerhays wasn’t thinking about cutting into the lead when he started. He wasn’t thinking much about anything except the shot at hand, and he kept hitting good ones in the midst of Dufner’s streak of bogeys. “A train wreck can happen at any moment,” Summerhays said. “And that’s why it’s such a great golf course because it does test everything. Legitimately from the first hole to the 18th hole, there’s a double bogey somewhere in there.” Jordan Spieth knows the feeling. He was right in the mix until catching a downhill like in the bunker left of the par-3 eighth. He tried to play a perfect shot and barely got it out, then chipped down to 5 feet and missed the putt, making double bogey. Spieth started the back nine with two straight birdies only to follow with two straight bogeys. It added to a 71, and he was six shots behind.

Click here to read the full article…

Summerhays pushes ahead, Dufner collapses at the MemorialSummerhays pushes ahead, Dufner collapses at the Memorial

DUBLIN, Ohio — Daniel Summerhays shot a 4-under 68 that took him from a five-shot deficit to a three-shot lead Saturday in the Memorial. More than his solid round was a collapse by Jason Dufner, who lost his lead with four straight bogeys on the front nine and hit two balls in the water on the back nine for a 77. Dufner went from the 36-hole record to four shots out of the lead. At least he’s still in the game, and he has plenty of company. Summerhays was at 13-under 203. Matt Kuchar, who won the Memorial four years ago, ran off three straight birdies on the back nine and shot a 67 that gets him in the final group with Summerhays as he tries to end 82 PGA TOUR starts without a victory. The last three winners of the Memorial had never won on the PGA TOUR, and Summerhays fits that mold. The 33-year-old from Utah is in his seventh year. Bubba Watson overcame a heckler on the 18th hole with one last birdie for a 68. He was four shots behind along with Justin Thomas (69) and Dufner. Rickie Fowler (72) salvaged an up-and-down day and was five behind. But it all started with Dufner. “Today was pretty pathetic on all accounts, so have to play better tomorrow,” he said. It started on the second hole when Dufner missed the green to the left from the rough and took bogey. He missed a 6-foot par putt on the third, then hit into the right bunker on the par-3 4th and made another bogey. And then he three-putted the par-5 fifth for a fourth straight bogey. Dufner was still tied for the lead when his wedge on the par-5 11th spun back down the green and into the water, leading to double bogey. It was a three-shot swing when Summerhays made birdie, and Dufner never caught up. He had said his breathing exercises over putting didn’t mean he would always have good days, and this was a bad one. Dufner had a pair of three-putts, and he twice missed birdie putts from 6 feet. He capped off his day by pulling his tee shot into the water and making another bogey. “The tournament is not over,” Dufner said. “It will be over tomorrow.” Summerhays wasn’t thinking about cutting into the lead when he started. He wasn’t thinking much about anything except the shot at hand, and he kept hitting good ones in the midst of Dufner’s streak of bogeys. “A train wreck can happen at any moment,” Summerhays said. “And that’s why it’s such a great golf course because it does test everything. Legitimately from the first hole to the 18th hole, there’s a double bogey somewhere in there.” Jordan Spieth knows the feeling. He was right in the mix until catching a downhill like in the bunker left of the par-3 eighth. He tried to play a perfect shot and barely got it out, then chipped down to 5 feet and missed the putt, making double bogey. Spieth started the back nine with two straight birdies only to follow with two straight bogeys. It added to a 71, and he was six shots behind.

Click here to read the full article…

Phil Mickelson will skip U.S. Open to attend daughter’s graduationPhil Mickelson will skip U.S. Open to attend daughter’s graduation

Click here to read the full article…

Lefty out: Mickelson won’t play in U.S. OpenLefty out: Mickelson won’t play in U.S. Open

Click here to read the full article…

Mickelson will miss U.S. Open for daughter’s graduationMickelson will miss U.S. Open for daughter’s graduation

DUBLIN, Ohio – World Golf Hall-of-Famer Phil Mickelson has announced he will likely forego a spot in the upcoming U.S. Open at Erin Hills in order to attend his daughter’s high school graduation in California, which is scheduled the same day as the tournament’s first round. Mickelson, a 42-time PGA TOUR winner, five-time major winner and six-time U.S. Open runner up, will almost certainly withdraw from the only major championship he has failed to win. Instead he will watch daughter Amanda graduate and give the commencement address at Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad on June 15. She is set to enter Brown University in the fall. “My daughter is graduating and she’s the school president… and I’m going to be there,â€� Mickelson confirmed. “Unfortunately, it comes on the Thursday of the Open, around 10:00 in the morning Pacific. So, there’s just really no way to make it, no matter what the tee time is.â€� Mickelson said only a major weather delay or unforeseen circumstance with the graduation ceremony will see him in the field. The final spots in the field will be awarded after 36-hole qualifiers at sites across the country on Monday. “I didn’t want Mike Davis and the USGA to be caught off guard when they made their pairings for television on Wednesday, and I want the alternate to know that he most likely will be in and to prepare properly,â€� Mickelson added. “Mike and I both agree there’s no sense in doing it right now, you never know what might happen, maybe something comes up with the commencement, maybe something comes up with the weather. I don’t know what will happen, but it doesn’t look very good. It would have to be something unforeseen.

“I wanted to make sure that they had enough notice to accommodate it. So that’s why I’m saying something today. But it doesn’t look good for me playing. But I’m really excited about this moment in our family’s life.â€�
 Amanda was born shortly after the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, where Mickelson finished runner-up to Payne Stewart. He had claimed he would leave Pinehurst at any moment to be there for the birth, displaying a family-first attitude he continues today. The 46-year-old is running out of chances to complete the career grand slam, making the decision more difficult. He has three Masters wins plus one Open Championship and a PGA Championship on his resume. But no U.S. Open. “Obviously, it’s a tournament that I want to win the most, and the only way to win is if you play,â€� he said. “But this is one of those moments where you look back on life and you just don’t want to miss it. I’ll be really glad that I was there and present.â€� Mickelson, who has played in 26 U.S. Opens, was also runner up at the 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2013 events. He and wife Amy are the parents of Amanda (17), Sophia (15) and Evan (14), and Phil again left no doubt as to his priorities Saturday. He said Amanda would have supported his decision had he chosen to play the U.S. Open. “I’ll be able to play the next two years solidly before Sofia gets to graduate, hopefully,â€� he joked. “Amanda’s very supportive. She’s always been: ‘Dad, I know you love the Open.’ But it’s one of those things that you just show up. You just need to be there. It wasn’t really something that we discussed, because it really wasn’t much of a decision.â€�

Click here to read the full article…

Mickelson plans to skip U.S. Open for daughter’s graduationMickelson plans to skip U.S. Open for daughter’s graduation

Mickelson plans to skip U.S. Open for daughter’s graduation

Click here to read the full article…