Open champion Francesco Molinari is part of a growing trend in golf â€" top players giving up endorsement money for more control over their game

Tiger Woods spent his holiday weekend getting ready for the U.S. Open with a quick trip to Shinnecock Hills.

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AVONDALE, La. – It was a year ago in the first round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans that Trey Mullinax and Scott Stallings first discussed a partnership. They each had different partners at the time. Stallings was with Australian Aaron Baddeley. Mullinax, a late addition to the field, played with Jonathan Randolph. But that didn’t stop Mullinax and Stallings from looking ahead to 2019. “We just kind of decided last year, hey, if we’re in next year, we’re just going to play together,� Mullinax said. “Been about a year in the making.� It probably felt like the completion of Thursday’s round was also a year in the making. A 7-1/2 hour weather delay in the middle of the day meant that Mullinax and Stallings started early and finished late. But it was worth it, as they finished 18 holes just before darkness with a 11-under 61 in the Four-balls format to take the clubhouse lead. Martin Laird/Nick Taylor are the closest finishers at 10 under, with Brian Gay/Rory Sabbatini are also at 10 under with four holes left. “Kind of an odd day,� Stallings said. “Obviously we played a lot more this morning than we thought we were going to, but to play 18 holes … and we not birdie the same hole and come out at 11 under – if you told us that at the beginning of the day, we’d have definitely taken it.� The lengthy delay left them with a “lot of nothing� to do while waiting for the lightning to clear and the course condition to improve. They sat in the car, went to the fitness trailer, grabbed a bite off-course and watched TV. But the biggest impact was having to reschedule their movie plans to watch “Avengers: Endgame.� “Extremely happy we can go see that movie tonight,� Stallings said. “We were supposed to go at 7:30 to 3-D but now we changed it to 10:00 and we got IMAX,� added Mullinax. “We got a little upgrade,� Stallings said. If you’re getting the impression these guys are close, you’d be spot-on. They’ve played lots of practice rounds together, and their friendship obviously extends beyond the course. Mullinax just had his first child, and Stallings – who had two children – has been giving him tips on fatherhood. Stallings’s penchant for fitness even has Mullinax working out more. “I’m trying to get a little bit bigger like him,� Mullinax said. “I can’t do as many push-ups and bench as much as he can, but he’s a pretty strong boy.� The two have been serious about their preparation for the Zurich Classic. Last week at the RBC Heritage, they held an alternate-shot nine-hole practice to get use to playing with the other’s golf ball. This week, they’re renting a house together. Their respective families are not in town. It’s strictly a boys’ golf week at TPC Louisiana. “We had this house booked a while ago,� Mullinax said. “And both our wives and families are like, yeah, we’re not going. We’re out,� Stallings added.

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Live leaderboard: Follow the Presidents Cup

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