Tiger back 7 but ‘overall’ pleased at Honda

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Big round numbers were the hot topic of conversation as Phil Mickelson met the media before the Waste Management Phoenix Open on Wednesday. That, and a little, black scooter he was presented to mark his 30th start in the event, one of his two hometown tournaments. Mickelson, 48, first played here as an amateur sensation out of Arizona State in 1989, and has since won it three times (1996, 2005, 2013). 
“I just can’t believe that it’s been 30 years,â€� he said. “It just has gone by so fast.â€� Mickelson is coming off a T2 at the Desert Classic two weeks ago, when he flirted with a 59 but settled for a 60 in the first round. He is enjoying a mini-career revival, which he credits in part to increased swing speed after leading the field in driving distance (302.5 yards on all tee shots) in the desert. The gain has been surprising given that he’s the oldest player in many fields. He also has enjoyed an uptick in his short game. He was around the lead in Strokes Gained: Putting for much of last season, when he broke a nearly five-year win drought with his playoff victory over Justin Thomas at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. It was in the afterglow of that win, Mickelson’s 43rd, that he issued a brash prediction: Q. You’re seven away from 50 PGA TOUR wins. Do you think you can get there? MICKELSON: Oh, I will, I’ll get there. Q. When? MICKELSON: I don’t know. Seven more wins and I’ll be there. I don’t have the month or the time, but I will get there. Today, not quite one year later, he’s having second thoughts. Asked at TPC Scottsdale whether he’s still sure he’ll get to 50, he dialed it back. The reason: The rest of 2018 didn’t go as planned. 

“I’ve got to be honest in my assessment of winning seven more times — is that realisticâ€� he said. “It’s certainly my goal and something I’m striving for and yet I know it’s not going to be easy. I don’t have the same, hundred percent I’m going to do this thing. I’m a little more realistic, because I really thought I was going to pick of off two or three more at the end of the year and I played terrible.â€� He made it to the season-ending TOUR Championship, but ran out of gas and finished last, then had a forgettable Ryder Cup in France. The good news, he added, was that he had a productive off-season in which he added speed and distance by stabilizing his core and retraining “the kinematic sequence of my golf swing.â€� He also has begun seeing a new nutritionist. “I think that I’m ready to start playing some of my best golf again,â€� Mickelson said. “I’ve had a massive jump in speed, which is a big thing, especially if you hit it crooked. If you’re going to hit it crooked you better not be short. That’s hopefully going to lead, along with the way I putted the last few years, it’s hopefully going to lead to a special year.â€�

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Round 1 of the Puerto Rico Open begins today. Here’s everything you need to know to follow the action from Grand Reserve Country Club. Round 1 leaderboard Round 1 tee times HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday-Friday, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday, 2:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m. (Golf Channel). Sunday, 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. (Golf Channel). FEATURED GROUPS (ALL TIMES ET) Viktor Hovland, Sebastian Cappelen, Andrew Loupe Thursday: 7:38 a.m. ET (No. 10 tee); Friday: 12:08 p.m. ET (No. 1 tee) Satoshi Kodaira, Jhonattan Vegas, Emiliano Grillo Thursday: 11:13 a.m. ET (No. 1 tee); Friday: 6:43 a.m. ET (No. 10 tee) Martin Trainer, Brice Garnett, D.A. Points Thursday: 11:13 a.m. ET (No. 10 tee); Friday: 6:43 a.m. ET (No. 1 tee) MUST READS Power Rankings Expert Picks The First Look Brotherhood of the slump: How pros fight through Trainer set for Puerto Rico Open defense No joke: Trainer dabbles in sitcom writing

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A Skins game that revealed plenty of rust and raised more than $5 million for COVID-19 relief funds saw Rory McIlroy end the proceedings with the winning shot in the first live golf on TV since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic.

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