Is this the year Phil Mickelson will finally win the U.S. Open?

DUBLIN, Ohio – Tiger Woods won’t be adding a sixth Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide title to his name, but the 82-time PGA TOUR winner was still relatively pleased with his third round at Muirfield Village Golf Club. Woods, who just snuck into the weekend, shot a 1-under 71 early Saturday to move to two over for the week, well back of the leaders. While normally he might be displeased, he was in fact happy that his troublesome back had not flared up like it did during his second-round 76 and was able to get some more competitive reps in. “I was moving better today and felt like I did the first day, and consequently I could make the passes at the golf ball like I did the first day,” Woods said. RELATED: Full leaderboard | ‘Totally different’ Muirfield Village this week “Overall I felt like I played well today, controlled the ball well. I hit one really bad shot there at three, but other than that, it was a pretty good, solid day.” Woods was referencing his approach from the fairway on the par-4 third hole where he dumped a wedge into the water from the fairway that led to his first bogey of the round. He threatened to make some waves with back-to-back birdies on five and six, but was unable to get another on the par-5 seventh and made bogey on the ninth as he made the turn. Woods managed two more birdies on 14 and 15, but gave one back on 16 to settle for his 71. “Unfortunately I didn’t make any putts today, so hopefully I can make a few more tomorrow,” he lamented. Woods said he was using the round to try to sharpen his competitive edge ahead of the upcoming PGA Championship and FedExCup Playoffs. He has yet to commit to the World Golf Championships – FedEx St. Jude Invitational in two weeks. “I was fortunate the cut came back. I made a little run at the end yesterday, and at times it was looking like it was going to be at two, but fortunately I snuck in at three,” Woods said. “Getting back into the flow and competing again and playing at this level, I hadn’t done that in a while. Playing home and playing out here is so very different and making sure that I stay sharp and don’t make any silly mistakes and dump the ball in the wrong spots or give myself bad angles, that’s one of the things about playing competitive golf that’s very different from playing at home.” Sunday promises to be set up at major-championship quality giving Woods another 18 holes to try to pull his game together. “This golf course is right where they want it. Jack can be happy when he sees the balls rolling on the greens this weekend and the run-out,” Woods said. “It’s tough. It’s fast. Now that the wind has picked up just a touch, it’s going to dry it out a little bit more. Like I said, hopefully can make a few putts tomorrow.”

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Golf’s oldest championship ventures outside Scotland and England for just the second time in its 160-year history, returning to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland as Francesco Molinari defends the Claret Jug he captured in masterful fashion last year at Carnoustie. Rory McIlroy, the 2014 champion at Hoylake and twice a winner this year (THE PLAYERS Championship, RBC Canadian Open), realizes a dream of playing on native soil along with countrymen Graeme McDowell and 2011 champion Darren Clarke. Meantime, Brooks Koepka seeks a second 2019 major to add to his victory at the PGA Championship after finishing second at the Masters and U.S. Open. FIELD NOTES: Newly crowned U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland and Masters winner Tiger Woods also headline the field for what’s now the final major of the year under the revamped golf calendar. … FedExCup points leader Matt Kuchar heads a list featuring 47 of the top 50 in the latest points standings. … In the world rankings, only No. 34 Kevin Na (neck) is missing among the top 85. … Slots remain for the John Deere Classic’s highest top-5 finisher yet to qualify, plus the Scottish Open’s three highest top-10 finishers still without berths. … John Daly, the 1995 Open winner at St. Andrews, will sit out this year after being denied a cart for his arthritic knee. He’ll tee it up in Kentucky instead at the Barbasol Championship. … Among the 12 survivors of local qualifying is amateur Brandon Wu, who helped Stanford to the NCAA team title last month. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 600 points. STORYLINES: The spotlight shines on Royal Portrush, a striking layout which hosted the 1951 Open but waited 68 years for another chance. Built on heaving linksland overlooking the Irish Sea, the course is widely ranked among the world’s top dozen layouts. … Koepka looks to extend his run of excellence in majors, where he hasn’t been outside the top two since last year’s Open at Carnoustie. He also has a valuable asset in caddie Ricky Elliott, who grew up a half-mile from Royal Portrush and learned the game there. … Though McIlroy has THE PLAYERS Championship and RBC Canadian Open trophies on his shelf this year, neither would compare to winning the Claret Jug in his native Northern Ireland. He already holds the course record with a 61 – posted at age 16. … It’s even more of a home game for Clarke, who grew up an hour away and is a Royal Portrush member, and Portrush native McDowell. … Woods arrives without hitting a competitive shot since the U.S. Open. It’s the second time this year he’s gone from one major to the next without a tuneup stop in between – he missed the PGA Championship cut at Bethpage Black … Molinari’s victory last year made it nine of the Open’s past 12 champions to be crowned at age 35 or older. COURSE: Royal Portrush Golf Club (Dunluce), 7,317 yards, par 72. The only Open venue outside Scotland and England gets its second bite of the apple, albeit with a slightly altered configuration to accommodate a modern major. Two holes from the club’s adjacent Valley course have been melded into the front nine, with the original 17th and 18th holes taken out to house corporate chalets. The rest of the layout is largely untouched from Harry Colt’s brilliant 1932 design that takes full advantage of dramatic elevation changes. The famed “Calamity Corner� – an uphill par-3 measuring 230 yards – will play as No. 16 for the Open. Royal Portrush dates back to 1888, with Old Tom Morris being credited with the original layout. 72-HOLE RECORD: 264, Henrik Stenson (2016 at Royal Troon). 18-HOLE RECORD: 62, Branden Grace (3rd round, 2017 at Royal Birkdale). LAST YEAR: Molinari rose from a crowded pack – including the revitalized Woods – to give Italy its first major champion, navigating the dastardly Carnoustie without a bogey on the final day to triumph by two. Seven players held at least a share of the lead during the final round, and six were tied for the top spot at one point on the back nine. That included Woods, who surged to the front until a double bogey at No.11. That opened the door for the chase pack – including the patient Molinari, who opened with 13 pars until a birdie at No. 14. Three more pars ensued until a bold play at No. 18, when his drive flirted with a pot bunker but set up a wedge to 5 feet for the clinching birdie and a 2-under-par 69. He was the only man in the final four groups to break par. McIlroy (70), Justin Rose (69), Xander Schauffele (74) and Kevin Kisner (74) shared second, with Schauffele’s bogey at No. 17 effectively ending the final threat. Woods (71) tied for sixth. HOW TO FOLLOW TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 1:30 a.m.-4 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday, 4:30-7 a.m. (GC); 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (NBC). Sunday, 4:30-7 a.m. (GC); 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (NBC). PGA TOUR LIVE: None. RADIO: Thursday-Friday, 2 a.m.-4 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 4 a.m.-2:30 p.m. (SiriusXM).

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