Haney apologizes for offensive LPGA comments

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth have won 12 majors between them, including two U.S. Opens, so it was odd to see this super-group go a combined 11 over for their first four holes at the 118th U.S. Open at windy Shinnecock Hills on Thursday. And they were just getting started. Mickelson hit 13 of 14 fairways but still made just one birdie and signed for a 77. Spieth triple-bogeyed the par-3 11th, the “shortest par-5 in America,â€� and hit several good shots on the way to a 78. McIlroy had to play the last seven holes in even for an 80. “Just tried to do a little too much on the second hole and it kind of bit me,â€� said Spieth, who found a greenside bunker at 11 and failed to hold the slippery green with his next two shots before two-putting for his triple. “From there it was just kind of a grind. Played pretty well to be even through the rest of the nine and then just didn’t make very good swings. “There were certainly some dicey pins,â€� Spieth added, “but at the same time there was guys that shot under par. I could have played better.â€� England’s Ian Poulter and American Scott Piercy each shot 1-under 69 to share the early lead. “This golf course is an extremely difficult course to play with no wind,â€� said Poulter, who hit 11 of 14 fairways and made three birdies. “Playing at 25-mile-an-hour wind is pretty stressful.â€� Justin Rose (71), a two-time winner this season and one of the pre-tournament favorites, said Thursday was about maintaining composure and minimizing the damage.   “Happy it’s over,â€� he said. He meant the first round, but others were left to wonder if it wasn’t over in the larger sense, having perhaps shot themselves completely out of the tournament. Scott Stallings had a long par putt at the par-4 14th hole, but not only missed, he watched his ball sail past the pin, off the green and down a swale. He made a 9 on the way to an 80. Satoshi Kodaira, who won the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head earlier this season, failed to make a birdie and shot 81. Jason Day, a two-time winner so far this season, came in with a 79. At least they didn’t enter the record books. Scott Gregory, a promising young player who won the 2016 British Amateur and now plays on the European Challenge Tour, shot 92, the first U.S. Open round in the 90s since the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black.      Day, who hit just seven of 14 fairways, cited not just the stiff wind but also the USGA’s choice of pin positions as contributing to the difficulty Thursday. “It’s hard enough,â€� he said after making just one birdie. “We’ve got at least 20 miles an hour of wind. Shinnecock is hard. If you’re not quite there, you don’t hit enough fairways—you’ve just got to hit fairways first, and I didn’t do that and that’s why I played bad.â€� Mickelson hit fairways but still didn’t score. His group racked up a triple-bogey (Spieth), and back-to-back doubles (McIlroy at 13 and 14) before the day’s first birdie (McIlroy at 15). While Mickelson was trying to become just the sixth player to win the career Grand Slam, he now has work to do just to make the cut on a course where he finished second to Retief Goosen in 2004. The carnage continued in the afternoon as Tiger Woods’ second shot missed long at the first hole, his next two pitches rolled back off the turtle-back green and he made a triple-bogey 7. Brooks Koepka tied the record score in relation to par when he shot 16 under to win the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills, but there was no such magic this time around as he shot an opening 75. On the bright side, no one will come close to 16 under at Shinnecock. “It’s a U.S. Open,â€� Koepka said. “You can shoot, whatever, 5 over today and shoot 1 under tomorrow and be just fine going into the weekend. So, I’m not too concerned.â€� For him and others who were blown away, the promise of tomorrow was all they had left. 

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Round 3 of the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links takes place Saturday. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action. Round 3 leaderboard Round 3 tee times HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Friday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (CBS). PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday 6:45 a.m.-6 p.m. (featured groups), Saturday-Sunday 7:45 a.m.-3 p.m. (featured groups). Saturday-Sunday 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (featured holes). Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio). FEATURED GROUPS Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm Saturday: 8:40 a.m. ET (No. 1 tee) Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson Saturday: 9:40 a.m. ET (No. 1 tee) Ryan Palmer, Corey Conners Saturday: 2 p.m. ET (No. 1 tee) Webb Simpson, Bryson DeChambeau Saturday: 2:10 p.m. ET (No. 1 tee) MUST READS Simpson cards 65, leads at Harbour Town Bryson trying to buck trend Players react to Watney’s WD: ‘Concentrate on getting better’ Spieth rebounds from triple, cards eight birdies Els gets off to fast start Horses for Courses: Harbour Town Q&A: Fabulous dad life of Mike Thomas Inside bulked-up Bryson’s big drives CALL OF THE DAY

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The 146th Open Championship has seen a little bit of everything when it comes to weather. Saturday morning showed the calmer side to Royal Birkdale, which offered up plenty of low scores.  South African Shaun Norris was the first player to tee off at 7:20 a.m. local time and shot a bogey-free 65 to move 50 spots up the leaderboard. Fellow countryman Branden Grace carded five birdies on his front nine to go out in 29. Weather in the Southport area is expected to remain calm with potential showers later this evening. If the morning scoring is any indication, these conditions could produce some low scores this afternoon.  • Round 3 leaderboard • Round 3 tee times Television Coverage Golf Channel – 4:30 a.m. – 7:00 a.m. ET NBC – 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET Jordan Spieth enters Round 3 leading by two shots at 6-under. He (65-69) has opened major championships with two rounds in the 60s three times in his career, going on to win the first two at the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open. Spieth tees off at 10:55 a.m. ET with Matt Kuchar (-4). Ian Poulter and Brooks Koepka are tied for third at 3-under and tee off at 10:45 a.m. ET. ROUND 3 HIGHLIGHTS

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