Mickelson surprised by good form in PGA Tour opener

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ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – An impressive streak may have come to an end, but Lanto Griffin’s 65 on Friday at the RSM Classic was still important. Griffin, winner of this season’s Houston Open, had made 15 consecutive cuts. It was the second-longest streak on TOUR, trailing only Tommy Fleetwood (31). RELATED: Leaderboard | A refreshed Harman contending at Sea Island | Plantation Course’s new look for The RSM Classic Griffin didn’t qualify for the final two rounds of The RSM Classic, though. He dug too deep a hole after a first-round 74 on Sea Island’s Seaside Course. He shot 65 on the Plantation Course on Friday to miss the cut by just one shot. The six birdies and an eagle he made Friday padded his lead in the RSM Birdies Fore Love competition, which ends this week. The player who makes the most birdies and eagles in the fall portion of the PGA TOUR schedule earns $300,000 for the charity of his choice. “Today was big,â€� said Griffin, who will be home this weekend while his closest pursuers play two rounds at Sea Island’s Seaside Course. He made 138 birdies and eagles this fall, 10 more than second-place Denny McCarthy. Maverick McNealy and Scottie Scheffler each have 127. Griffin admitted being tired from an eventful fall that saw him win his first PGA TOUR title at the Houston Open and finish in the top-20 five other times. He added the Bermuda Championship to his schedule because of the RSM Birdies Fore Love competition and it was his inspiration to finish the fall on a strong note. “I knew the birdies were big, so I got some work in on the range last night and straightened it out a little bit,â€� Griffin said. “The Birdies Fore Love was on my mind pretty hard and I knew … if those guys got two more rounds on me, I wanted to get my lead up. “I was disappointed, but I’m tired and I battled as hard as I could, so I’ve got nothing to hang my head about. … There’s a lot of money for second and third in this race, too, so either way I’m going to have a good chunk of change to start my foundation with and hopefully do a lot of good in southwest Virginia.â€� The runner-up in Birdies Fore Love earns $150,000, while third place earns $50,000.

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The PGA TOUR is aware of rapidly changing developments regarding COVID-19. With the information currently available, THE PLAYERS Championship will continue as scheduled, although we will absolutely continue to review recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization and local health administrations. This is obviously a very fluid situation that requires constant review, communication and transparency, and we are dedicated to all three aspects. The PGA TOUR will provide an additional update by 12 p.m. ET on Thursday. In the meantime, players in the field have been notified to be prepared to play Round 1, as scheduled. Fans who no longer wish to attend THE PLAYERS Championship may request a refund or exchange; details on how to do so will be announced shortly. Please visit PGATOUR.COM/THEPLAYERS for more information.

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