Koepka (70) maintains 7-shot advantage at PGA

LA QUINTA, Calif. - Phil Mickelson has employed his brother Tim as a full-time caddie for the better part of three years. They've won two PGA TOUR titles in that span - the 2018 WGC-Mexico Championship, and the 2019 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Mickelson is set for his first TOUR start since November at this week's The American Express, contested in his native California. Tim has been awarded the week off, with Mickelson's swing instructor Andrew Getson filling in. The leave of absence is for good reason: Tim and his wife Maranda are expecting their first child imminently. "Today is Jan. 20, and it's their due date for their baby boy," Mickelson said. "With Palm Springs being a two-hour drive away, and the inability to join your wife if you're not with her when you go into the hospital at birth, he has to be there with her. "I just know that the birth of any children, especially your first, is the most emotional experience that you could possibly share, and there's no sense to take any risk. He's at home with his wife; they're due any minute, any day, and I'm excited for them." Getson, who also filled in at last year's Genesis Invitational, was the logical replacement. The duo has worked together for five-plus years. "On Tuesday, he was Thursday-ready," Mickelson said. "His game is sharp, he is working hard, he's going to be a great caddie, and I'm appreciative of him stepping in to take over for my brother." Phil Mickelson is now in his second year as host of this storied event, now in its seventh decade and sparked by Bob Hope's vision. The 50-year-old projected a relaxed demeanor in Wednesday's session with the media, joking with reporters about their ‘quarantine beards' and expressing appreciation for the opportunity to compete amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Mickelson last appeared at the 2020 Masters, finishing T55, and aims to build on a 75th-place showing in last year’s FedExCup. His best finish in 2020 was a T2 at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational last August, and he also won each of his two appearances on PGA TOUR Champions. The 44-time TOUR winner admits that his schedule could gravitate toward PGA TOUR Champions later in the season if he struggles to contend on TOUR. For now, though, he's committed to competing on TOUR into his 50s. As his nephew readies to enter the world, Mickelson readies to chase his third title (2002, 2004) in the California desert. "My love of the game of golf is high, and my desire to compete and play against the best players is high," Mickelson said. "I find myself just internally motivated because of my love to compete and my love to try to bring out the best in me. "I've actually had a good offseason, where I haven't had as much time off as I normally would take, because it's been so much shorter. I feel like I've made a few good strides, and I'm excited to start the year and see if I'm able to continue playing at the highest level."

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ORLANDO, Fla. – Perhaps they should call him “Happy” Hatton. As a nickname for English golfer Tyrrell Hatton “Happyâ€� works two-fold. First in the irony category … like calling a redhead “Bluey” or an NBA star “Shorty”. Hatton seems anything but happy on the golf course most weeks. Secondly, particularly for anyone born anytime in the 1970s or 80s, you can’t help but see iconic movie character “Happy Gilmoreâ€� in your mind while watching him. RELATED: Leaderboard | The clubs Hatton used to win at Bay Hill | Who has momentum heading to THE PLAYERS? Hatton has admitted he has some anger issues when it comes to his own golf game and the standards he expects of himself. A blow up or two is never far away much like Gilmore when he first takes up the sport in the iconic 1996 movie. But also like Gilmore, Hatton is able to harness it at times and still find ultimate success. “I’m nice but obviously to myself I give myself a hard time and that’s one thing that I should probably get better at,â€� the 28-year-old says. On Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by Mastercard, the range of emotions was on display once more as he converted a two-shot 54-hole lead into a first PGA TOUR win to go with his four European Tour titles. Through eight holes, Hatton had bounced back from two early bogeys to reestablish a two-shot lead and looked pretty comfortable. But as eventual runner-up Marc Leishman would say after falling a shot short of Hatton, “of all the courses on the PGA TOUR, this is the last one you’d pick to have a two-shot lead with three to go.â€� That is because Bay Hill can turn up a big number at any moment. For the second straight day it played very tough indeed, allowing just one round in the 60s on Saturday and Sunday. No one was immune. Consider Hatton’s 68-69-73-74 made him the first player since Geoff Ogilvy in the 2006 U.S. Open to win with two over-par rounds on the weekend. And just ask Rory McIlroy who had two double bogeys on the front nine to go from tied for the lead to out of the mix. It was almost as if you could hear legendary broadcaster Verne Lundquist saying one of the oft-quoted lines from “Happy Gilmoreâ€� … “uh oh, here comes the putter throw… â€� for each putt Hatton missed. Surely it was only a matter of time before implosion. It was. Despite the fact Hatton led by three when he was on the 11th tee box he strangely pulled out his driver. It meant a water hazard was in reach and sure enough the tee shot bounded into a watery grave. Soon after he was grinding on a six-footer for double bogey. Inside those 15 minutes or so were the trademark over dramatic gestures and negative self-talk … and at one point Hatton wacked himself hard in the back with the handle of his putter a handful of times. “It was really tough out there and obviously I was getting frustrated at times, but nowhere near the blowups that I am capable of. And it’s just one of those days where you just got to stick in there, and patience is one of the hardest things with me,â€� he would say of the episode. “I said yesterday the hardest thing for me will be to manage myself. And over the course of this week I feel like I did a decent job of that.â€� Some would argue he failed to manage it. But if you watch closely enough you come to realize that in fact it seems almost necessary for Hatton to let off steam this way. Like a pressure valve releasing. Gilmore learned to go to his happy place to move on from his anger. Hatton is similar but he goes there after he releases the pressure first. Besides, he managed it well enough to still win. “It was so tough and obviously everyone’s dropping shots quite easily. And after the double on 11, which was pretty tough to take … I did get a bit frustrated,â€� he said while sitting inside the replica Arnold Palmer red cardigan given to the winner with the large trophy also by his side. “That’s always going to happen with me. And as long as it’s not kind of keeping on over to the next shot, then I’ll be okay. I’m just happy that I’ve managed myself well enough this week to be sitting here.â€� His caddie Mick Donaghy is a big part of the blow up and then refocus routine. He is tasked with making sure that nothing dwells past those initial moments. And after 11 would be a critical juncture on this day. “I was just annoyed because my third shot in was actually one of the best swings I made all day. I was just having a little moan, like it’s the grass’s fault and the wind’s fault. It’s never my fault,â€� Hatton continued. “But Mick was really good. He just told me to kind of get focused again, it’s done, move on, and have a few practice swings and just kind of get some good feelings again. And I stood on the 12th tee and that was probably one of the best tee shots, certainly, that I hit today.â€� From that point on, as Leishman and Sungjae Im tried to mount a charge, Hatton ground out seven straight pars. Even when Leishman, the 2017 winner at Bay Hill, got within one with two to play, Hatton remained steady. In fact he played the final two holes with stoicism to claim the win and a three-year exemption on the PGA TOUR in just his second event back from right wrist surgery. “It’s an incredible feeling to win at such an iconic venue and with obviously Arnie’s name to it,â€� he would say after moving to 14th in the FedExCup. “Hopefully I can push on and keep climbing.â€� He has that chance in just a few days from now as the TOUR moves to its flagship PLAYERS Championship. No Englishman has ever won the PLAYERS at TPC Sawgrass. Hatton was asked if he could be the guy. After all no Englishman had won the Arnold Palmer Invitational prior either. But his answer once again conjured up thoughts of Gilmore and his laid back ways. “Time will tell. It’s hard to kind of think about next week at the moment with the sort of potential celebrations we have got later today. I don’t think I’ll be in any fit state at least until Wednesday,â€� Hatton smiled. Yep … “Happy” Hatton indeed.

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