Phil Mickelson withdraws from PGA Championship

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COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jack Nicklaus admitted he started feeling bad for Jordan Spieth during his slump but the 18-time major winner has no doubt the tide is turning for the Texan – and he wouldn’t be surprised if the former FedExCup champ contended again at this week’s Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide. With back-to-back top-10 results at the PGA Championship (T3) and the Charles Schwab Challenge (T8) Spieth has ended a 10-month run without contending, but his winless stretch is now at 22 months. He has moved from 150th to 73rd in the current FedExCup standings over the last two weeks.  “You feel bad for the guy. I felt bad for him for some of his play but I think his work ethic and desire to win and play is there and when you have that … well he will do fine,� Nicklaus said. “Jordan is trying to make some adjustments in his swing. He’s been trying this for about a year. He is paying the pains of it a little bit but he will be better off in the end for it.� The 11-time PGA TOUR winner comes to Muirfield Village off the back of making 434 feet, 4 inches worth of putts in the opening three rounds last week. But Sunday he made just 46 feet worth as he tallied 32 putts in the final round (72) and fell into a T8 finish. His final round scoring average of 72.82 ranks 202nd on TOUR. “You are going to have a variety when your putter is the only club in your bag that’s working. But he will fix that, he has a lot of years, don’t worry too much about him, he’s going to be just fine,� Nicklaus said. “A competitor is a competitor and a winner is a winner… and he’s both.� Nicklaus reminded the media throng that Spieth won the Open Championship despite a wayward driver. Related: Catch early-round coverage on PGA TOUR LIVE | Power Rankings | Sleepers | How Jack created a masterpiece | Featured Groups And with just a little more improvement in the ball-striking the hot putter will once again bring wins. Spieth is fourth on TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting this season but 192nd Off-the-Tee and 135th Approach-the-Green. “He will ultimately fix it. It is obvious this spring he is getting better with it,� Nicklaus adds. “I think his swing is better, I watch him quite a bit on television because I like him a lot and take a great interest in him. He is swinging better; I don’t think he’s quite where he wants to be yet but he is pretty close.� Spieth missed the cut at Muirfield Village last season but has three previous top-20s at the venue, including a T3 in 2015.

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SAN DIEGO — Alex Noren of Sweden two-putted for birdie on the final hole for a 3-under 69 that gave him a one-shot lead going into the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open. Noren has nine European Tour victories and is No. 19 in the world. This is his first 54-hole lead on the PGA TOUR. He leads by one shot over Ryan Palmer, who struggled after building a two-shot lead with a 45-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th. Jon Rahm, the defending champion who needs to win to reach No. 1 in the world, took double bogey on the last hole for a 75 and fell four shots behind. Noren was at 11-under 205. Tiger Woods only hit three fairways and still managed a 70. Woods was eight shots behind.

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