Phil Mickelson, upset over report, tweets he won’t return to Rocket Mortgage Classic

NASSAU, Bahamas – Tiger Woods had just signed for a second-round 66 and done all his interviews when he decamped for the short-game practice area at Albany Golf Club. He’d gone seven for seven in scrambling to get within six of leader Patrick Reed (66) at the Hero World Challenge, an unofficial event he has won five times. But that wasn’t enough. With caddie Joe LaCava and a couple of security guards standing by, he hit pitch after pitch with the sun low in the sky. A handful of fans stood outside the ropes, watching him work. The moment was a reminder that whatever else Woods is – tournament host this week, captain of the U.S. Presidents Cup Team next week, 44 years old later this month, catalyst for the ONE Bahamas Fund to support relief and rebuilding efforts for those affected by Hurricane Dorian – he is still, unmistakably, a player. He’s at 82 official PGA TOUR victories, and 15 major championships, and he is very, very serious about nudging those totals upward still in 2020. “I just think it was less windy,â€� he said of his score being six shots better than the day before. “It was a little bit easier today. Scoring conditions were a little bit better. “I didn’t hit the ball as well as I would like starting out, missed a few greens,â€� he added. “Other than No. 2, I missed all the – every green in the correct spot, so I had easy chips and I had to make a couple. But I got it going on that back nine, which is nice.â€� Woods made eagle at the par-5 11th hole, birdied three of the next five holes, and managed to par the difficult 18th, which he’d double-bogeyed the day before. His sharpness comes as no surprise, given that he won the ZOZO Championship in his last start (No. 82), but it is a comfort, knowing that at the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne he will be the U.S. Team’s first playing captain since 1994. He was on the short game area at Albany for over an hour, and one sensed it was serving dual purposes. Related: Leaderboard | Reed leads after second-round 66 | Els to go with gut on Woods’ singles matchup Yes, Woods was working on his game, but he was also in a sort of contemplative bubble amid the swirl of activity that is his life. When will he play? When will he captain? Which of his assistants (Steve Stricker, Fred Couples, Zach Johnson) will he deputize to fulfill the captain’s role while he’s out there between the ropes with a club in his hand? As he hit pitch after pitch, such questions could wait. “Yeah, I’m playing a minimum of two,â€� he’d told reporters, when asked how many matches he would play. “Does that help you?â€� He smiled, and everyone laughed along. (All team members must play twice, at minimum.) The laughter died down. “We have gameplans for next week,â€� he continued. “We’ve got guys that haven’t played. DJ’s coming off an injury, a surgery. We’re going to take it day by day, see how guys feel. We’re going to communicate with one another and work through it.â€� Was it good to see captain’s pick Reed playing so well? Yes, Woods said, adding that he was doing so with a new set of irons and new putter this week. Are players already experimenting with each other’s golf balls for the foursomes at Royal Melbourne? Yes, again. How has his game improved since getting surgery on his left knee in August? “I can drive the ball a little bit better because I can rotate,â€� he said, “and I can putt the ball better because I can get down and read putts again.â€� His game, he added, felt sharp coming into the Hero, and it still does. “His swing right now is so smooth,â€� said Bubba Watson (73, 1 over total), who played with Woods in the second round. “It’s pretty nice to watch.â€� With so many variables in play this week and next, and so many question marks going into the Presidents Cup, Woods can count on the one thing that’s almost always carried him through: His game is there.

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THE OVERVIEW CROMWELL, Conn. – Last week was about survival. This week at the Travelers Championship? “It’s guns blazing,� Patrick Reed said Wednesday. “Everyone is going to be firing at flags.� For those who spent the week – or maybe just a couple of rounds before an early exit – at the U.S. Open, an immediate visit to TPC River Highlands no doubt will be a welcomed relief, a chance to flex the scoring muscles. Having to give up the chase for birdies at Shinnecock Hills for most of the week, players can now return to regular PGA TOUR attack mode. Since 1994, every winner of the Travelers has finished double-digits under par, with three of those winners finishing at 20 under or better. During that same span, just three U.S. Open winners have reached double digits. Nine winners, in fact, have been at even par or worse. That includes last week’s champ Brooks Koepka, who won his second straight U.S. Open title by shooting 1 over (after finishing a record-tying 16 under the previous year at Erin Hills in a rare offensive U.S. Open explosion). “Sometimes having a tournament right after a major doesn’t help but having this tournament right after the tournament last week, I think it gets guys back into their normal routines,� said Rory McIlroy, making his second start at the Travelers. “They play a golf course which if you can make birdies, you can get on runs. That’s a nice thing.� Most U.S. Open courses are long – Shinnecock Hills was 7,440 yards and Erin Hills maxed out at 7,800. Meanwhile, TPC River Highlands measures just 6,841, giving players a chance to hit significantly shorter irons into pins. Throw in the drivable par-4 15th, and it’s a vastly different approach this week. But that also creates a different mindset. Knowing there are more scoring opportunities, players will feel the pressure of keeping up instead of just hanging on. Defending champ Jordan Spieth will be careful not to fall into the trap of always flooring the accelerated. “I understand you can shoot low scores,� Spieth said, “but over the course of four rounds, you’ve got to just wait and let the golf course give you what it does.� Added Justin Thomas: “It’s still golf. Whether it’s even par or 12 under or 25 under, you’re just trying to shoot as low as you can. It definitely is different, and a little less exhausting at the end of the day.� Plus, it’s just nice to look at some red numbers on the scorecards. Said McIlroy: “Obviously it makes you feel a bit better about yourself when you’re shooting some under-par scores.� THREE PLAYERS TO PONDER Brooks Koepka Becomes the first U.S. Open champ since Justin Rose in 2013 to play the following week immediately after winning. Jordan Spieth Turned around his season a year ago by winning at TPC River Highlands. Could use a similar boost this year. Bubba Watson Only four-time winner Billy Casper has won this event more than twice. Bubba could notch his third this week. THE FLYOVER Of the 50 closing holes last season, the 444-yard par-4 18th at TPC River Highlands ranked 19th in difficulty, playing to a stroke average of 4.107. Obviously, it can produce some drama – witness Jordan Spieth’s hole-out from the front greenside bunker to beat Daniel Berger in a playoff last year. And don’t forget the plaque as you walk back toward the clubhouse that celebrates Jim Furyk’s historic 58 two years ago. LANDING ZONE Say hello to one of the PGA TOUR’s shortest par 4s, the 296-yard 15th hole. Only the 288-yard 16th at Sheshan International is shorter. At this length, there’s not much decision on whether to go for the green – 95.3 percent of all tee shots at 15th qualified for the definition of going for it. Still, there is water to the left and bunkers to the right, and nearly as many double bogeys (7) were made last year as eagles (9). Here’s a look at where all tee shots landed last year at the 15th WEATHER CHECK From PGA TOUR meteorologist Wade Stettner: “There will be a chance of rain showers Thursday morning before 8 a.m. with just a slight chance of a passing shower or two Thursday afternoon. Thursday’s high is forecast in the middle 80s with winds switching back to the north at 6-12 mph. Dry weather is forecast on Friday with light south winds and a high in the upper 70s. A low pressure system will arrive this weekend with rain chances increasing on Saturday. There is a slight chance for a few passing showers lingering into Sunday.� For the latest weather news from Cromwell, Connecticut, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK There are tournaments on the PGA TOUR that could be great fits for me, and this is one of those. I just regret I hadn’t been playing here my entire PGA TOUR career. BY THE NUMBERS 63 – Opening round score by Jordan Spieth last year. That’s his lowest first-round score in 143 career starts. 0 – Numbers of weekend rounds that two-time champ Bubba Watson has shot over par (in other words … none). Of his 40 career rounds at the Travelers, 35 have been played at par or better. 4 – Players with multiple runner-up finishes this season without a win – Marc Leishman (2012 Travelers champ), Rickie Fowler, Tony Finau and Chez Reavie. SCATTERSHOTS A year ago in his first Travelers start, Rory McIlroy was experimenting with putters. “I think I turned up on Saturday morning with about 10,� he recalled. Eventually, he used three different putters over the four-round event. Don’t expect a repeat this year – thanks in part to his work with New Englander Brad Faxon. “My putting has been probably as good as it ever has in terms of strokes gained,� McIlroy said. (He currently ranks 55th after ranking 140th after last season). “I feel comfortable with that part of my game.� Doug Ghim and Nick Hardy are making their pro debuts this week, while Dylan Meyer is making his second start after finishing T-63 in his pro debut at last week’s U.S. Open. “It’s a cool tournament,� noted Justin Thomas. “This, along with the John Deere, I think both of them have great reputations of giving young guys an opportunity to start their career.� Two-time winner Bubba Watson is making his 12th career start at the Travelers. No one consistently plays TPC River Highlands better than Watson. He’s a cumulative 94 under since 2006, best in that span. He’s made 181 total birdies since 2008, most in that span. And his scoring average of 67.65 is second only to Paul Casey’s 67.25 (minimum 12 rounds).

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – There was plenty of daylight when third-round play concluded, the fans marching off the course and back to their regularly scheduled lives. That’s the thing about a limited-field event like the World Golf Championships FedEx St. Jude Invitational: There’s always plenty of time to work on your game after you sign your card. And so, one by one, the chase pack alighted for the practice grounds at TPC Southwind. Cameron Smith (65, 16 under, two back) went straight for the driver, having hit just five fairways in round three. Bryson DeChambeau (63, also two back) worked on short putts. Scottie Scheffler (67, five back) worked on his bunker play. Then there was leader Harris English, who shot 65 to reach 18 under par, did his media hits, and left the property. He is who he is. With two wins already this season (Sentry Tournament of Champions, Travelers Championship) he is fifth in the FedExCup and a career-high 10th in the world. At 32, he has never looked more comfortable being Harris English. “Yeah, just to be you,” English said, when asked what advice he would give to his 24-year-old self who won here, the first of four PGA TOUR titles and counting despite a seven-year win drought. “I mean, I’ve spent too many years chasing my swing, trying to swing it like somebody else instead of just refining what I did and why I swing the club how I did. Just to be myself and keep grinding at it, keep doing what you’re doing, keep enjoying the challenge.” DeChambeau also is enjoying the challenge. He came into this week with few expectations after having to bow out of the Olympics with COVID-19, but despite dropping a few pounds and losing a few miles per hour of clubhead speed, he’s in the thick of it after a 7-under 63. “Not much, just a little lower ball speed,” he said, when asked what impact being sick has had on his game. “But I’ll get that back real quickly. It’s honestly kind of helped me this week hit it in the fairway, I don’t know why.” (He’s 29 of 42 in driving accuracy, tied for 12th in the field.) English and DeChambeau, who would each become the first player with three victories this season with a win, will make up the final twosome at 2 p.m. ET Sunday. “I enjoy playing with Bryson,” said English, who has been one of the premier ball-strikers in the game since recommitting to his natural swing in 2019, and who leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting. “To me it’s a lot like playing with Bubba Watson, I enjoy kind of seeing what he does.” Cameron Smith would love to come from the second-to-last group and spoil the party. He got more out of his round than he could have after hitting just five fairways. His iron play was on point, as was his putting one day after tying a TOUR record with 18 putts. The turning point for him Saturday: a chip-in birdie at the ninth hole to change his momentum. “Harry was hitting the ball so good today,” Smith said, a nod to his playing partner English in the last twosome out Saturday. “It was good to see some good shots, especially when I was struggling myself. Yeah, he definitely toted me along I think for sure.” One intangible: Smith will go out with Presidents Cup teammate Abraham Ancer (67, four back after bogeys on the last two holes) and they could not be more comfortable with each other. “Got to take it low tomorrow,” said Ancer, who is still searching for his first TOUR win. Although Smith came in with the same score as DeChambeau, the first-in-last-out rule means it will be DeChambeau in the last twosome Sunday, not Smith. “Personally, I like to see what’s going on,” Smith said of playing in the final group. “Obviously there’s a lot of leaderboards around, so we’re able to see (despite being in the penultimate pairing). I’m looking forward to playing with Abe. He’s a really good friend and we have a lot of fun out on the course.” Scheffler and Ian Poulter (67) are not out of it at five back. English, who would surpass Collin Morikawa at FedExCup No. 1 should he hold on, would be the third wire-to-wire to winner in this event after Tiger Woods (2000) and Stewart Cink (’04), both of whom accomplished the feat when the tournament was played at Firestone South. Of course, English was just a teen-ager back then, and in his 20s he got caught up trying to be someone else, losing the DNA of his swing somewhere along the way. Now he’s just himself, even during increasingly rare dry spells like his first seven holes (all pars) on Saturday. The forecast calls for temperatures in the 90s, and DeChambeau, Smith and the rest of them will no doubt be trying to apply their own kind of heat. English, who grew up in Georgia, who knows himself and his game better than ever, seems nonplussed. Bring it on. “I love being in this situation,” he said. “I love this golf course and I feel like my strategy through the years has really worked out and it’s a lot – it’s very similar to a course I grew up on in south Georgia, so very comfortable with it and looking forward to the challenge tomorrow.”

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