Rahm atop in Mexico for 1st win since U.S. Open

Englishman Paul Casey knows what it's like to win at Pebble Beach - sort of. On those days when he ventures to the first tee at one of the most scenic golf courses in the land, a plaque on the wall reminds him that he and FedEx President/CEO Don Colleran captured the two-person pro-am title at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am two years ago. Casey, 43, would really like to complete a Pebble "double" by winning the individual title. He is in good shape headed to the weekend on the heels of a 5-under-par 67 at Pebble Beach on Friday. At 9-under 135, he trails leader Jordan Spieth (67, Spyglass) by three shots heading into the weekend. RELATED: Full leaderboard | Casey wins the Dubai Desert Classic Don’t tell Casey's annual pro-am partner, he pleads with a grin, but selfishly, he was looking forward to four days of pro-only play at Pebble Beach and Spyglass, just to whet his appetite of curiosity. With two courses in the tournament rota, not three (Monterey Peninsula normally would be in the mix), it means more quality Pebble time for those making the 36-hole cut. "Three rounds at Pebble Beach? I'm not going to turn that down," said Casey, who was a runner-up to Phil Mickelson at the AT&T in 2019, witnessing Mickelson's fifth victory at the event. "I'd love to win at Pebble Beach. It's one of those iconic places to be a champion. Everyone would love to hoist a trophy here." Casey arrived to the Monterey Peninsula having traveled 40 hours after competing in Saudi Arabia last week. Casey said he was mentally spent at the end of 2020, and could not wait to turn the page into a new year. In 2021 he has felt refreshed, and his play has shown it. He tied for eighth at the American Express, then ventured to the Middle East, where he won in Dubai (his 15th European Tour title) and tied for 12th in Saudi Arabia. The 12-hour time difference from the Middle East to Northern California has his personal clock a little off. On Thursday night, Casey said he was in bed and asleep by 7:30 p.m. ("My kids stay up later than that," he quipped.) But his legs feel strong and he has played quite nicely over two rounds at the AT&T. There is no reason not to expect more of the same. Winning in Dubai, and winning so early in the new year, has given him a tremendous boost. "I feel like the goals that I've set are now kind of attainable, and I'm on the right trajectory to start ticking those off," he said. "So I feel great. The energy is good because of that. I'm excited. I'm loving my golf." On Friday he managed six birdies against a lone bogey, chipping in not once, but twice, including a treacherous downhill pitch holed for birdie-3 from behind the eighth green. Playing alongside was Mickelson. "First time I've ever chipped in more times than Phil Mickelson when I've played with him, so I'm ticking that box," Casey said. Yes, Casey is on a mighty good run.

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Tiger Woods called the Bush name “synonymous with golf.” Said Tiger: “Anyone who’s ever been around him knows how much he loved his golf and how much he supported it and how much we’re going to miss him.”

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While there will be no pro-am portion to this year's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, the tournament will still feature 156 players and a field full of notable names, including reigning FedExCup champion Dustin Johnson. Nick Taylor returns to defend his 2020 title, while Phil Mickelson is gunning for his record sixth title at Pebble Beach. FIELD NOTES: Dustin Johnson, a two-time winner at Pebble Beach, returns to play his first event on the continental U.S. in 2021. He finished T11 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions to start the year... Kamaiu Johnson, who was set to make his PGA TOUR debut at the Farmers Insurance Open but was unable to due to a positive COVID-19 test, will instead tee it up at Pebble. Johnson's inspiring story — he was an eighth-grade dropout but found comfort in golf — caught the eyes of TOUR event organizers... Other sponsor exemptions include 19-year-old Akshay Bhatia, who finished T9 at this season's Safeway Open, and 2019 U.S. Amateur champion Andy Ogletree. Davis Riley, who sits third on the Korn Ferry Tour's Regular Season Points List, also is in the field on sponsor exemption. He made the cut at last week's Waste Management Phoenix Open... The Prince of Pebble Beach, Phil Mickelson, returns to the PGA TOUR this week and is looking for his record sixth victory at the event... The PGA TOUR Champions will be represented at Pebble Beach. Other than Mickelson, a trio of over-50 major winners - John Daly, Tom Lehman and Jim Furyk - will also be in the field... Past FedExCup winners including Jordan Spieth, Brandt Snedeker, and Bill Haas will also tee it up. Spieth and Snedeker are past winners at Pebble Beach. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points. COURSE: This year, with no pro-am portion of the tournament, the 156 professionals will play only two courses instead of the usual three. The two courses that will be used are Pebble Beach Golf Links (Jack Neville/Douglas Grant, 1919) and Spyglass Hill Golf Course (Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1966). The cut will take place after 36 holes instead of 54. Pebble Beach Golf Links, par 72, 7,051 yards Spyglass Hill Golf Course, par 72, 7,041 yards STORYLINES: The first of three victories for Jordan Spieth in 2017 came at Pebble Beach. Spieth, who won the Travelers and The Open Championship that same year, hasn't won since. Spieth, who was T8 heading into the weekend in Phoenix, will keep that momentum going into Pebble Beach, a place he's comfortable... Matt Gogel - who hasn't played the PGA TOUR since 2007 - is in the field as a Sponsor Exemption. Gogel won at Pebble Beach in 2002 and was a key supporting actor in Tiger Woods' comeback win in 2000. It was Gogel, then a TOUR rookie, who had the seven-shot lead with seven holes left that Woods eventually overcame thanks in part to a hole-out eagle at the par-4 15th... Jason Day has done everything but win at Pebble Beach. His fourth-place finish in 2020 gives the Aussie six top-6 finishes at the event, but no victories... Nick Taylor's win in 2020 was the first by a non-American in 15 years. In fact, only four non-Americans have ever won at Pebble Beach (Taylor, Vijay Singh, Brett Ogle, and Bruce Crampton). 72-HOLE RECORD: 265, Brandt Snedeker (2015). 18-HOLE RECORD: 60, Sung Kang at Monterey Peninsula (2nd round, 2016). Pebble Beach record: 62, Tom Kite (3rd round, 1983), David Duval (3rd round, 1997). Spyglass Hill record: 62, Phil Mickelson (1st round, 2005), Luke Donald (1st round, 2006). LAST TIME: Nick Taylor held off a charging Kevin Streelman to win his second PGA TOUR title. Taylor, whose first TOUR win came at the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship, was paired with Phil Mickelson for the final round, but Taylor's 2-under 70 proved to be enough as Mickelson fired a final-round 74. Taylor held on down the stretch making birdies on Nos. 15 and 17 after bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12, and a double bogey on the par-5 14th. Mickelson finished third, Jason Day finished fourth, and Maverick McNealy, Daniel Berger, Matt Jones, and Charl Schwartzel all finished T5. Taylor opened the tournament with a 63 and was in contention all week long before taking it across the finish line Sunday. 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). Saturday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (CBS). Sunday, 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (CBS). PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. ET (Featured Groups). Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (Featured Groups), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Holes). Sunday, 10:20 a.m.-3 p.m. (Featured Groups), 3 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (Featured Holes). Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m.-6:30 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio). TOURCast: Get shot-by-shot info in real time with shot tracks and video with TOURCast. TOUR Pulse: Get the PGA TOUR app to utilize TOUR Pulse, which provides users the ability to experience a mix of content, such as video highlights, written hole summaries and stat graphics on every player after every hole they complete.

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