Who’s next? Rivalries weren’t born in a day

Phil Mickelson will play on the PGA TOUR Champions after he turns 50 this June. The only question is how long after he turns 50. For now, Mickelson said as he met with reporters at The American Express tournament in Palm Desert on Wednesday, he wants to keep battling younger players on the PGA TOUR.  “I haven’t thought too much about it,â€� said Mickelson, who won TOUR events the last two years but suffered a marked drop-off after capturing the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am early last season. “And I won’t until I see how the first six months of this year go, because I’ve had this, I’ve had kind of a lot of great things happen that lead me to be encouraged about the year and I’m curious to see how the first six months go. RELATED:  What you need to know for The American Express | Power Rankings “It’s nice to have the option to move over to another tour,â€� he added, “but it’s also nice to have the challenge of competing out here.â€� Mickelson this year steps into the host role of The American Express, a tournament he has won twice and nearly won last year, but what he’s equally excited about is his new diet and fitness regimen that has seen him shed pounds and add clubhead speed. He is curious to see how his new lease on life translates on the scorecard. “When I stop hitting bombs, I’ll play the Champions Tour,â€� he said, “but I’m hitting some crazy bombs right now. No, I still have speed, I still, there’s no reason I couldn’t play out here. “I hit the ball every bit as far,â€� he added. “Usually as guys get in their 40s they regress; I had a five, six mile an hour club head speed increase last year. A little bit of commitment in the gym, a little bit of work ethic and all of a sudden there’s no reason that physically I can’t do today what I did 15, 20 years ago. In fact I’m doing more.â€� Mickelson has enjoyed great success in California, where he is a cumulative 601 under par in TOUR events since 1983, which trails only Fred Couples. “There’s a chance that if I do what I expect then I may end up competing for years out here,â€� Mickelson said. “And there’s a chance that maybe I am misguided in my thinking and that I should move over. But a lot will be decided or seen in the first six months, because I feel like I’m ready to play.â€�

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Gretzy, the daughter of the Great One, and Johnson, a two-time major winner have been engaged since 2013. The couple tied the knot at a resort in the Tennessee mountains.

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DALLAS – Brooks Koepka had never been to Trinity Forest until Tuesday. He played the back nine that day in a abbreviated practice round. A heavy rainstorm Wednesday prevented any players from getting on the course. So Thursday’s opening round of the AT&T Byron Nelson was the first time Koepka saw the front nine. No worries for the world’s No. 3 player and No. 8 in FedExCup points. Starting his opening round on the more familiar back nine, Koepka went out in 32, then came back on the front nine in 33 to finish with a 6-under 65, putting him firmly in the hunt going into Friday. “It’s a bit different when you’re playing it blind,â€� Koepka said. “Kind of don’t know where you’re going. Relying a lot on the (yardage) book. I never look at the book.â€� Other than his approach at the par-4 sixth from the fairway that flew the green and landed in the back bunker, and his poor swing from 234 yards at the ninth that failed to find the green, Koepka was happy with his play. He hit 11 of 14 fairways, 15 of 18 greens and made all 16 of his putts inside 10 feet while also rolling in a 41-footer for birdie at the par-4 18th. It’s something he wants to continue the rest of the week and into next week at the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, where he’ll be the defending champion. “The last few weeks, I’ve been impressed with myself and how well I’m striking it,â€� he said. “Controlling it nice and then from there just try to feel like you see some putts go in the hole. I think it’s important to kind of feel like the hole is opening up with a major (on the horizon).â€� Related: Featured groups, tee times | Koepka keeping focus on AT&T Byron Nelson | Spieth ’embracing the struggle’ | Origin of arm-lock putting | It’s all about the wind in Trinity Forest As for Trinity Forest? Koepka, who spent the early portion of his career playing in Europe, calls it “about as true of a links golf course you’re going to find in America. Obviously with the rain, it doesn’t play like it, being so soft, but this is a great course.â€� Not that he minded the previous one. Koepka’s best finish in four previous AT&T Byron Nelson starts is a playoff lost to Sergio Garcia in 2016 at TPC Las Colinas, the previous tournament venue. Despite the solid start Thursday, he’s still not sure if Trinity Forest will be his kind of course. “I wouldn’t say it suits my eye,â€� he said. “A lot of drivers, though. It plays to my advantage. It’s not like it’s a course where I’ve fallen in love with it. It’s definitely not that. “I love the old course that they used to play on … Was one of my favorite courses on TOUR. It’s got a lot to live up to.â€�

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