Phil Mickelson was locked in a tense exchange with a reporter when asked to cast his mind back to his near-miss to Henrik Stenson at the 2016 Open last time out at Royal Troon. Mickelson, 54, might have tumbled down the world rankings to a current 203rd as a result of his $200m move to LIV Golf in 2022, but the six-time major champion is eligible to compete in next week’s 152nd Open Championship at Troon as a result of having etched his name on the famous Claret Jug at Muirfield in 2013. Speaking ahead of LIV Golf Andalucia this week, Lefty…

No one at the USGA has said it, but nine years after Pierce County-owned Chambers Bay hosted the 2015 U.S. Open, it’s pretty clear the national championship is not coming back to the University Place course.A U.S. Women’s Open? The chance of that coming seems remote, too.Future sites for the U.S. Open have been selected through 2042 and future sites for the U.S. Women’s Open have been picked through 2036, and no Chambers Bay.Pierce County harbored hopes of being in the USGA’s rotation for both of those events. Instead it’s in the USGA’s rotation for the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship.…

Many wondered what Rory McIlroy’s game would look like after taking three weeks off following his disappointment at the U.S. Open where he played his final four holes 3 over to lose to Bryson DeChambeau by a shot.He put those questions to bed Thursday morning.This week’s defending champion posted an opening-round 5-under 65 at the Genesis Scottish Open and was tied for third after the morning wave.McIlroy’s day began on The Renaissance Club’s 10th hole, where he made a birdie on the par 5. Although he gave it right back on the 11th, McIlroy added birdies on Nos. 14 and…

A groundskeeper at the Pusch Ridge Golf Course in Oro Valley, Arizona, died in the hospital last month days after being stung by a swarm of bees. Rick Messina, 57, began doing agronomy work for course operator El Conquistador Golf in 2022, the company told USA Today Wednesday. On June 24, as Messina was mowing the grass around the eighth hole at Pusch Ridge, he came into contact with the swarm and was stung. He died in the hospital from unspecified complications from the stings on June 27, El Conquistador Golf said. “Rick was a dedicated and cherished member of…

This doesn’t sound like it should be noteworthy: a 15-time PGA Tour winner still in his prime holds the first-round lead in a tournament.But Justin Thomas has been fighting some things for a while.The 31-year-old has the first-round lead at the Genesis Scottish Open after shooting 8-under 62 Thursday, his first such lead in 781 days.“It’s always good to get off to a good start, and even better to get off to a great one,” Thomas said. “I felt like I was in great control of everything. Just when I missed it, I missed it in the right spots and…

Pierceson Coody hits a tee shot on the third hole during the third round of the Charles Schwab Challenge golf tournament at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, Saturday, May 25, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero) AUSTIN (KXAN) — With the PGA Tour schedule split between the Scottish Open and ISCO Championship this week, Texas Ex Pierceson Coody is taking full advantage. Coody fired an opening round 11-under 61 Thursday to take a 3-shot lead at the ISCO Championship, held outside Louisville, Kentucky at Keene Trace Golf Club. MORE THAN THE SCORE: Stay up to date on sports stories like…