Devil Ball Golf

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Tony Romo's smooth golf swing helps him win American Century Championship

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Maybe former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo should have been a golfer all along. The 38-year-old took down a couple former athletes to win the American Century Championship on Sunday. Romo finished ahead of Mark Mulder, Ray Allen and Joe Pavelski to win the tournament.

How did Tony Romo win the American Century Championship?

Romo came into the final day of the event with some work to do, but he came through in the clutch. Romo made five birdies on the final day to finish just ahead of Mulder.

Tony Romo wins the @ACChampionship! #ACCGolf pic.twitter.com/KVX9Krz3aE

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) July 15, 2018

What is the American Century Championship?

The American Century Championship is a celebrity golf event. It started in 1990. Romo has participated in the tournament in the past, but had not won until Sunday. Romo’s win broke Mulder’s streak. The former St. Louis Cardinals and Oakland Athletics pitcher had won three straight American Century Championships before Sunday.

What is the scoring system for the American Century Championship?

Scoring works a bit differently in the event. It’s a weighted system that encourages players too be aggressive and finish hole as quickly as possible. That’s usually the point of golf, but this adds a twist.  A hole in one, for example, nets a golfer eight points. An eagle is worth six points. A birdie is worth three points.

Who else participated in the 2018 American Century Championship?

Stephen Curry and Dell Curry took part in the event. The father and son placed a little wager on it too. Steph lost that bet and had to jump in a lake.

Steph lost a golf bet to Dell and had to jump into Lake Tahoe pic.twitter.com/lUZDRUrQQd

— NBCSAuthentic (@NBCSAuthentic) July 15, 2018

Charles Barkley — who has an … interesting golf swing — also took part. He finished with a -93, which is pretty awful in the event’s scoring system. Jerry Rice, Aaron Rodgers and John Smoltz also played in the tournament.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik

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Phil Mickelson vows to 'act a little better' on the golf course: 'I do a lot of dumb stuff'

Phil Mickelson reflected on his “rough month” Thursday ahead of next week’s Open Championship, vowing to “act a little better” after a pair of rules violations. (AP)

Phil Mickelson can be polarizing.

The five-time major champion is beloved by his fans for his bravado and fearlessness on the course while his detractors bemoan him as reckless and fake.

Phil Mickelson almost always entertains

But one thing most golf fans can agree on is that Mickelson is almost always entertaining. Whether it’s this remarkable shot from the pine straw behind a tree en route to a 2010 green jacket or his utter collapse at Winged Foot on 18 to give away the U.S. Open in 2006, “Lefty” in contention is a must watch.

Mickelson’s bone-headed moves

With his game in decline at age 48, those must-see moments have consisted mostly of the bone-headed variety lately. He followed up his now infamous decision to hit a moving putt at the this year’s U.S. Open with a self-reported rules violation at last week’s Greenbrier Classic.

 “I’m not sure what I just did was legal,” Mickelson told the others in his group on Sunday.

It wasn’t.

Mickelson spoke candidly with reporters about his miscues Thursday at the Scottish Open, a warmup for next week’s Open Championship.

“I’ve had a rough month,” Mickelson said. “I haven’t been my best. I’m working at trying to fix that.

“I made a big mistake [at the U.S. Open] and I wish I could take it back, but I can’t. There’s not much I can do about it now other than just try to act a little better.”

Mickelson owns his mistakes

To his credit, Mickelson owned his mistakes while putting them in the context of his 25-year career.

“The reason why this has actually been easier is it was my own fault,” Mickelson said. “The backlash is my own fault. It’s much easier to deal with than some of the times where I have not been involved in the decisions and had to deal with that.

“You have to be accountable for yourself. I do a lot of dumb stuff. I have these moments where I’m in a cloud, not really sure what I’m doing.”

Mickelson is not expected to contend at Carnoustie next week. But one thing is for sure. Golf fans will tune in to see what he does next.

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PGA Tour reveals major changes to 2018-19 schedule

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The PGA Tour has unveiled its schedule for the 2018-19 season, and it’s going to take some getting used to. We’ve known the basics of the revamped schedule, which includes the movement of several significant tournaments and one major, for some time, but seeing them laid out together will come as a bit of a surprise for golf fans.

The new schedule features 46 events and runs from October 1, 2018 to August 25, 2019. Let’s break it all down.

The big changes

At the top of the mountain, the new schedule reworks the major lineup. The PGA Championship move from August to the week of May 13, and the Players Championship moves from May to the week of March 11.

The FedEx Cup Playoffs drop from four events to three, starting much earlier in the summer. The Tour Championship now wraps up before Labor Day, finishing on August 25.

The Tour also adds two new events: the Rocket Mortgage Classic (week of June 24), the first Tour event in Detroit, and the 3M Open (week of July 1) in Minnesota. In a scheduling quirk, the Houston Open and Greenbrier will not be on the 2018-19 schedule, but only because they’re moving to the fall and will be on the 2019-20 slate. Otherwise, they’d have been held just a couple months after their 2017-18 installments.

Here’s the schedule in minuscule print; for the complete list, tap here.

After months of speculation, the @PGATOUR has officially unveiled a revamped schedule for the 2018-19 season. Take a look: pic.twitter.com/QJbeUYULG6

— Will Gray (@WillGrayGC) July 10, 2018

What the new schedule means for golf

The major season tightens up, and the Players gets an opening-act role rather than mid-bill. The PGA Championship now sits right in the middle of the mix, which should help reduce the perception that it’s the appendix of the four majors.

The FedEx Cup blessedly gets out of the way of the NFL, a move that everyone not blindfolded by tee flags has advocated for years. The playoffs lose one of their events, yes, but Boston and New York will rotate the opening event, and the entire month of September is now free for Ryder Cups and the like.

What kind of an impact will this have on golf’s ratings? Depends on how many of these events Tiger Woods plays. But the overall move, smoothing out the schedule and concentrating the big moments, ought to work better than the current scattershot method. We’ll start to find out soon enough. ____ Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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Phil Mickelson calls himself on obscure rule violation at The Greenbrier

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Phil Mickelson made his first start this weekend on the PGA Tour since the U.S. Open at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, and finished 1-under par.

While he was never really in contention at The Greenbrier, all eyes were on the lefty after his rule-breaking debacle at the U.S. Open nearly a month ago when he hit his ball while it was still moving on the green out of frustration.

Mickelson had a brush with the rules again on Sunday — though this time he called himself on it, assessing a two-stroke penalty on an obscure rule that even the announcers didn’t notice at first.

Mickelson had teed up his ball in the tee box on No. 7 on Sunday at The Old White TPC, and was getting ready to hit. He saw some errant grass sticking up ahead of his ball, and naturally went to go pat it down with his foot.

It’s a move every golfer has done at some point in his or her career. Why not quickly move the grass out of the way so the ball doesn’t hit it?

According to United States Golf Association Rule 13-2, though, that’s a violation of the rules.

From the USGA, Rule 13-2: Improving Lie, Area of Intended Stance or Swing, or Line of Play:

A player must not improve or allow to be improved:

the position or lie of his ball,

the area of his intended stance or swing,

his line of play or a reasonable extension of that line beyond the hole,

or the area in which he is to drop the place a ball

by any of the following actions:

pressing a club on the ground,

moving, bending or breaking anything growing or fixed (including immovable obstructions and objects defining out of bounds),

creating or eliminating irregularities of surface,

removing or pressing down sand, loose soil, replaced divots or other cut turf placed in position, or

removing dew, frost or water.

By that definition, Mickelson did violate the rule.

Check out the shot and the encounter:

After consulting a rules official, Phil Mickelson assessed himself a 2-stroke penalty for improving his line of play (violation of Rule 13-2). pic.twitter.com/61GiY5ggaj

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 8, 2018

Perhaps the most impressive thing on Sunday, though, is that Mickelson recognized the rule violation himself — even though nobody else did and likely wouldn’t have ever called him on it.

In reality, the penalty didn’t change much. The leaders started out Sunday’s final round 13-strokes ahead of where Mickelson finished anyways.

He did, though, handle the rule violation much better than he did at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

A remarkable sequence on Hole 13, where Phil Mickelson was assessed a two-stroke penalty for hitting a moving ball and ended up making a 10 on the hole. pic.twitter.com/kx6ieYiOGR

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2018

That has to count for something.

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Report: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson planning $10 million, winner-take-all match-play duel

They’ve been enemies-turned-friends, teammates, rivals and the two most iconic faces in golf this millennium. They’ve combined for 122 PGA Tour wins and 19 majors. And now, they’re planning a live-television, winner-take-all match-play face-off.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are playing for $10 million.

EXCLUSIVE: Tiger and Phil are planning a match-play showdown for a staggering amount of money. (Story by @AlanShipnuck)https://t.co/odiTaBMhYV pic.twitter.com/ZttyQSSzXa

— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) July 6, 2018

Report: The Woods vs. Mickelson match nearly happened on July 3

Per Alan Shipnuck of golf.com, the idea of this high-stakes showdown was put in motion at The Masters, when Woods and Mickelson played a practice round together. Negotiations were well underway by the time the two were paired together at The Players Championship. Mickelson was already looking forward to it:

The excitement that’s been going on around here, it gets me thinking: Why don’t we just bypass all the ancillary stuff of a tournament and just go head-to-head and just have kind of a high-stakes, winner-take-all match. Now, I don’t know if he wants a piece of me, but I just think it would be something that would be really fun for us to do, and I think there would be a lot of interest in it if we just went straight to the final round.

Woods also expressed his excitement: “I’m definitely not against that. We’ll play for whatever makes him uncomfortable.”

Initially, the date for the match was July 3, but final negotiations — which included a television deal and several corporate deals — didn’t finish quite in time.

“We’re working on a different date,” said Mickelson, who is currently playing in A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier. “I thought it was done for the 3rd, but obviously it wasn’t.”

Expect to hear some trash talk

Shipnuck reports the match will likely take place at Shadow Creek, a Tom Fazio-designed course in the Las Vegas area. And perhaps most intriguingly, both Woods and Mickelson have agreed to be miked up throughout the round. Considering these are two of the tour’s most notorious trash talkers and they are playing for an astounding amount of money, expect some heated reactions. Per Mickelson:

“You will hear a lot of the comments that you don’t hear on regular TV. We both like to talk smack, and we both have fun with what we’re doing. And the fact that this isn’t an official tournament, that it’s just a head-to-head match, you’ll hear some of the little nuances, some of the little things that you don’t normally pick up.”

Furthermore, both players hope this is the start of a series of high-stakes exhibitions for years to come, and perhaps one that will involve other players, too, per Shipnuck.

Mickelson is No. 20 in the world, Woods No. 67

Both Mickelson, 48, and Woods, 42, have found their games again after some struggles in the past few years. Mickelson has surged up to No. 20 in the world and captured his first win since 2013 at the WGC-Mexico Championships in early March.

Woods, meanwhile, is ranked 67th in the world and climbing. He recently finished tied for fourth at the Quicken Loans National. Both players will be competing at The Open Championship in two weeks’ time.

Woods and Mickelson are the top two active earners on the PGA Tour (Woods with over $111 million, Mickelson with over $87 million) and have made plenty more off of endorsements. But $10 million is not a drop in the bucket for anyone, much less two players who have turned from steely enemies to good friends — with plenty of trash talk — off the course. This could be the ultimate bragging right.

“It’s a ridiculous amount of money,” Mickelson said. “No matter how much money you have, this amount will take both of us out of our comfort zone.”

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Phil Mickelson, left, shakes hands with Tiger Woods in May. Next, they’ll be playing for $10 million (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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Once again, PGA Tour inhibits golfing mad scientist Bryson DeChambeau

The PGA Tour ruled Bryson DeChambeau’s hole-marking device was a violation of rules. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Weeks ago, at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, Bryson DeChambeau walked the golf course with a compass, marking hole locations in his greens book.

At the time, the PGA Tour ruled DeChambeau could use this device — which DeChambeau said he’s used for two years — because the Rules of Golf did not address its use. 

But not anymore.

Ahead of Thursday’s Greenbrier Classic, the Tour released a statement, referencing the compass. Once again, the PGA Tour has inhibited golf’s mad scientist.

“The USGA has ruled that the use of a protractor (also known as a drawing compass) during a stipulated round is a violation of Rule 14-3a of the Rules of Golf,” according to a statement sent to players. “It is considered ‘unusual equipment that might assist him in making a stroke or in his play.’”

Talked to Bryson about the compass. Said he's been using it for almost 2 years but people are only now noticing. Uses it to determine "true pin locations." Expects a ruling from Tour in next week about whether he can keep using it in competition.

— Will Gray (@WillGrayGC) June 24, 2018

For years, DeChambeau has challenged norms — both in the game of golf and in life. He was a physics major at Southern Methodist University, and he has used an analytical and scientific approach to gain an advantage since turning professional in 2016.

When DeChambeau was 15 years old, he read the book, “The Golfing Machine,” which sparked his curiosity and ignited his confidence.

“I think I can change the game of golf,” he told his father then.

After reading the book, DeChambeau asked a number of questions. One, in particular, revolved around the length of golf clubs. Typically, the lower the club number, the longer the club. DeChambeau wondered why, and why all clubs could not be the same length?

Ultimately, those questions — as well as DeChambeau’s obsession physics, which he studied at Southern Methodist University — resulted in DeChambeau constructing a set of same-length golf clubs.

And while DeChambeau still uses that set of clubs on on Tour today, he has had to adjust other elements to his game, especially as it relates to his putter.

In December 2016, DeChambeau experimented with an unconventional putting method called the side-saddle.

Looks like someone is taking a little different approach to his putting https://t.co/iTS85uTukl

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 6, 2016

Initially, the PGA Tour ruled this putting method was okay. But then, the PGA Tour overruled its initial ruling as non-confirming, just like it did with the compass. DeChambeau declined to speak about the most recent ruling ahead of Thursday.

But one thing is clear.

Golf’s mad scientist will continue to work his physics brain to gain an advantage for as long as he competes in the sport.

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Graeme McDowell withdraws from British Open qualifier after airline loses his clubs

Graeme McDowell has withdrawn from a crucial qualifier for the British Open after an airline lost his clubs. (Getty Images)

Former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell may miss out on the British Open later this month — though not due to a fault of his own.

McDowell flew from Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport to Manchester on Sunday night ahead of Tuesday’s qualifier for The Open at St. Annes, something he needed to do well in to secure his place in the tournament. However, there was just one problem: his clubs didn’t show up.

Need assistance from @airfrance. Flew into Manchester last night from CDG and my golf clubs are untraceable. I have a 36 qualifier tomorrow for @TheOpen and really need my bag. Thanks in advance. #help

— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) July 2, 2018

“Need assistance from @airfance,” McDowell tweeted early Monday morning. “Flew into Manchester last night from CDG and my golf clubs are untraceable. I have a 36 qualifier tomorrow for @TheOpen and really need my bag. Thanks in advance. #help.”

His call for help, though, seemingly went unanswered.

Clubs still not on way from Paris. Established that they are in the black hole known as CDG. @airfrance and @AirFranceUK have been very quiet on Twitter lately so no communication. Looking doubtful I will participate tomorrow @TheOpen qualifier.

— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) July 2, 2018

One user asked McDowell why he simply didn’t rent clubs ahead of Tuesday’s qualifier, which is a totally fair question. However, as McDowell quickly explained, only three spots are up for grabs out of the 72-man field, which would make playing well enough to qualify for The Open with totally new equipment extremely difficult.

I hear you man. Only 3 spots from 72 decent players and I have another event to get ready for this week, so have to cut my losses and start preparing. https://t.co/L49rE58pQh

— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) July 2, 2018

So, after a day of frustration, McDowell cut his losses and withdrew from the qualifier.

I have officially withdrawn from @TheOpen qualifying tomorrow at St Anne’s Old Links. I cannot give 100% without my own equipment which has been mishandled by @AirFrance and must turn my attention to @DDFIrishOpen this weekend. Thanks for all the support.

— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) July 2, 2018

While McDowell missed this opportunity to qualify, he’s not totally out of time to qualify for the British Open. McDowell is set to compete in the Irish Open later this week and the Scottish Open next week — both of which offer qualification spots for the leading non-exempt players who finish in the top-10.

Hopefully, for his sake, McDowell’s clubs resurface from the airport black hole in time.

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Tiger Woods turns rescue shot into birdie to start final round at Quicken Loans National

The beauty of Tiger Woods’ game has never been the monster drives, the ability to read greens or even his knack for playing through distractions.

It’s that when he’s at his best, even Woods’ mistakes turn into memorable moments.

Look no further than Sunday’s final round at Quicken Loans National, where Tiger’s approach on the Par-5 second hole came up short and landed in some wildly tall grass. This is a spot where you begin to lower expectations and just hope to avoid a bogey.

Instead, Tiger went right for the pin and set himself for an easy birdie.

for Tiger Woods. pic.twitter.com/s0ZJKQJasJ

— Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 1, 2018

Does this mean Tiger has a chance to win this tournament?

Absolutely. Through four holes on Sunday, Woods (-8) is tied for 10th place and just five strokes back of co-leaders Abraham Ancer and Francesco Molinari (-13).

It would be his first PGA Tour victory since the 2013 Bridgestone Invitational, and would be a huge step towards reclaiming his title as the world’s best golfer. That being said, it’s a very long road back to status. A few good rounds this year have left golf fans more encouraged than they’re used to this decade, but that still isn’t saying much.

A moral victory could be just as important. Finishing in the top ten or higher while leaving the course healthy would mean as much for Woods’ game as a trophy at this point. Seeing him make shots like he did on the second hole on Sunday is more of a reminder of what Woods has always been capable of rather than his game getting better.

What’s next on Tiger’s schedule?

Woods has already committed to playing in the British Open at Carnoustie in Scotland. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him go quiet until the tournament begins on July 19. That will be a real test for Woods after a disastrous showing at the U.S. Open where he missed the cut — though a host of other top golfers did as well.

Tiger has three British Open titles to his name but hasn’t won since 2006. It’ll be the first time The Open returns to Carnoustie since Padraig Harrington won the tournament in 2007. Woods finished that tied for 12th place at -2 that year. Over four days he never shot lower than 69.

Any momentum he can bring to Scotland after this weekend will surely be welcomed.

Tiger Woods is in contention at the Quicken Loans National and is making impossible shots look easy again. (AP Photo)

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Blake Schuster is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Schustee

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Tiger Woods makes early charge, comes back down to earth on moving day at Quicken Loans National

Tiger Woods struggles to keep successful round together Saturday at the Quicken Loans National tournament. (AP Photo)

When his putt rolled past the left lip of the opening hole Saturday, Tiger Woods’ chances at making a moving day charge at the Quicken Loans National tournament were slim.

But then, beginning with Hole 4, Woods went on a tear. He birdied that hole and four out of the next five. At one point, he was just a shot off of the lead.

As has often been the case in this 2018 season, though, Woods struggled to continue his success on the back 9. He finished with a 2-under 68, which was good enough for tied-10th mid-Saturday.

Five birdies on the front nine.@TigerWoods goes out in 3-under 32.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/swmPRBM9fk

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 30, 2018

Using a new TaylorMade mallet putter — his first time ever using a mallet putter in tournament competition — Woods carded an even par 70 on Thursday and a 5-under 65 on Friday.

The golfing legend was in prime position to make a charge Saturday, but the opening bogey derailed the expectations of many. Woods fought back, making birdie on Hole 4 and lighting the spark that was needed.

On Hole 5, Woods knocked a wedge close and holed another birdie putt. And on Hole 6, Woods roped a driver down the middle of the fairway and drained a birdie putt a shot later. A birdie on Hole 7 made it three-straight for Woods, but while he bogeyed Hole 8, the momentum early round momentum carried through Hole 9 as Woods finished with a birdie.

At the turn, Woods was 3-under and poised to put himself in stellar position Sunday. But he didn’t. He bogeyed Hole 13, which stalled his success.

Woods made birdie on Hole 16 but finished with a closing bogey. As of mid-afternoon on Saturday, he was six shots off of the lead.

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Follow live: Tiger competes on moving day at Quicken Loans National

Tiger Woods looks to catch the leaders on Saturday.

After a rough first round, Tiger Woods put himself in contention at the Quicken Loans National in Potomac, Md., with a 5-under 65 on Friday to head into the weekend trailing the leaders by four shots.

What will he and the field do on Saturday. Click on the leaderboard below to follow the action.

Leaderboard: Tiger in action on moving day at Quicken Loans National

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Tiger Woods roars back with strong round, in contention at Quicken

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Tiger Woods is back, baby! All those troubles of the past? In the past! He’s gonna win this weekend, he’s gonna win five more majors, he’s gonna prove he’s the best golfer in human history, he’s gonna—

All right. Breathe. Woods is back in contention at a tournament, the first time we can say that in quite some time, and he’s there thanks to some superb putting. He’s switched to a mallet putter from his trusty major-winning Scotty Cameron, and while Thursday ended with an unspectacular even-par 70, Woods played Friday with far more confidence and touch. He ended the day with a five-under 65, and walked into the clubhouse tied for 11th, four strokes off the lead. Here’s how it went down:

How Friday went

Woods began on the 10th hole Friday, and immediately set about exorcising the ghosts of Thursday by burying a 25-foot putt on his very first hole:

Grinding.@TigerWoods gets to under par for the first time @QLNational.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/btuIy90sZ8

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 29, 2018

Woods would go birdie-bogey-birdie to start the round, then finished out the front nine with another bogey and two birdies, including this gem:

BIG roars.@TigerWoods chips in for birdie on No. 9.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/TPhHydmv7v

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 29, 2018

Three more birdies in a four-hole span to start his second nine, and Woods was inside the top 10. Of course, with an early tee time, most of the field had yet to play. So he was already sliding down the leaderboard as play went on (Kevin Streelman’s 62 helped in that regard), but Woods is still in excellent position heading into the weekend.

What’s next?

Woods will make the weekend, obviously, and that means it’s time to start turning attention to winning. Woods’ best finish to date since his most recent comeback is a T2 in the Valspar; you don’t get much better than that. Woods hasn’t won on tour since 2013, but you have to figure that this tournament is his best chance in a long time. No disrespect to Friday leaders Beau Hossler, Joel Dahmen and Zac Blair, but they’re not exactly Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. If Woods is going to notch a win, this is a perfect opportunity, and if he can’t here, you have to start wondering when it’ll ever come.

Tiger Woods throws grass in the air on the 14th tee during the second round of the Quicken Loans National golf tournament, Friday, June 29, 2018, in Potomac, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

____ Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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Tiger Woods finishes first round at Quicken National at even par

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We’re not surprised by Tiger Woods’ comeback any more, are we? No? OK, good. Woods is now a regular presence on the PGA Tour, if not the top of the leaderboards. Thursday, Woods teed off in the first round of the Quicken Loans National, a tournament his foundation runs, and the results were … well, par for the course.

Why are we still writing about Woods?

Because he’s one of the best ever to play the game. If Jordan came back and played weak-sauce basketball or Gretzky came and skated some mediocre minutes, we’d write about them too. Call it the G.O.A.T. bump.

How did Tiger’s round go?

Woods finished at even par, carding two birdies on the back nine to offset a double-bogey on No. 6. Matters began well enough with a strong drive off the first tee:

Ideal start.@TigerWoods finds the fairway with his opening tee shot.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/07GaDbACAj

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 28, 2018

But an unplayable lie on No. 6 cost him:

Tiger Woods finds trouble on No. 6 and makes double. pic.twitter.com/qhV8uWvXZd

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 28, 2018

Woods finally settled down on the back nine, working approach shots that gave him birdie opportunities. Alas, it seems that switching to a mallet putter from his trusty Scotty Cameron may not have been the answer:

Tiger has had birdie putts from 10, 6, 3, 7, 8 and 15 feet on his last six holes. He made two of them.

— Doug Ferguson (@dougferguson405) June 28, 2018

If there’s anything to take from this round, it’s that things can always get worse.

What’s next for Tiger?

Well, a tee time Friday morning, for starters. Woods, paired with Marc Leishman and Bill Haas, will go off at 8:20 a.m. He’ll be at least seven strokes off the lead, but he’ll be inside the cut line or right on it. So he’ll have a bit of work to do to make the weekend, but nothing unmanageable.

Big picture? That’s a little hazier. The Quicken Loans field isn’t exactly the most stacked. And if Woods can’t throw a scare into this crew, there’s reason to question whether he ever will again, anywhere. We’ll find out more soon enough.

Tiger Woods hits from the bunker on the fifth hole during the first round of the Quicken Loans National golf tournament, Thursday, June 28, 2018, in Potomac, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

____ Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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Practicing with new putter, Tiger Woods searches for fix to his game

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The Scotty Cameron blade putter has been a staple in Tiger Woods’ arsenal for a number of years. But after missing the cut at the U.S. Open, the golf legend could be mulling a change of the flat stick.

On Tuesday, at TPC Potomac ahead of the Quicken Loans National event, Woods strode across the putting green with a TaylorMade TP Ardmore 3 mallet putter.

While he has toyed with a mallet putter in years past, he has not ever used one in competition, according to USA Today’s Steve DiMeglio.

Tiger Woods practicing at TPC Potomac with a new putter. Looks like a variant of the TP Black Copper Ardmore. pic.twitter.com/t0D132E7VT

— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) June 26, 2018

Whether or not Woods will use the mallet putter when the tournament begins Thursday remains to be seen, but it is a sign of his recent struggles. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open, shooting an 8-over 78 on the first day of the tournament and a 2-over 72 on the second day.

Over the course of the tournament, Woods struggled with the putter. That said, he ranks No. 37 on the tour in average putts per round with 28.59.

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John Daly mad, withdraws from U.S. Senior Open after being denied use of golf cart

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John Daly has withdrawn from the upcoming U.S. Senior Open after the USGA denied his request to use a golf cart during the event.

The 52-year-old two-time major champion known for his big personality and hard-partying lifestyle announced the decision on Twitter Monday.

Unfortunately— I had to WD from the US SENIOR OPEN. The deteriorating osteoarthritis isn’t helping my rt knee. I fall under the @ADANational but @USGA turned down a cart for me this week. Just going to give the knee a rest. Don’t know what’s ahead for me. https://t.co/Bna5maK13P

— John Daly (@PGA_JohnDaly) June 25, 2018

Daly angry about USGA golf cart decision

Daly says he is suffering osteoarthritis in his right knee and believes that he is eligible under the Americans With Disabilities Act to use a golf cart during professional competition. He told USA Today he was angry about the USGA’s ruling.

“I’ve been fighting this (injury) for so long, and it’s my career they’re screwing around with here,” Daly said. “I’m pissed because I’ve been playing good golf and I want to play golf, that’s what I do for a living. But you know, you can’t walk 18 holes, you can’t walk 18 holes.”

John Daly, citing the ADA, believes he should be allowed to use a golf cart on Tour and withdrew from the U.S. Senior Open when the USGA denied his request. (AP)

The USGA responded on Twitter to Daly’s decision with detailed reasoning about why he was denied the request.

The USGA claimed that it reviewed Daly’s request per ADA requirements and determined that Daly did not meet the conditions to support a waiver of the walking condition. The USGA also stated that it gave Daly an opportunity to provide further information to support his case, and that he chose to withdraw instead.

Full statement below: pic.twitter.com/sPeAzdyGhL

— USGA PR (@USGA_PR) June 25, 2018

USGA rules allow exceptions for disabled players to use golf carts

USGA rules require the organization to allow a player the use of a golf cart if he or she meets certain conditions.

Per USGA rules:

As a general rule, players and their caddies must walk the course at USGA championships and at most qualifying rounds. Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a disabled player or caddie may be permitted to use a golf cart as an accommodation to his or her disability for those events where golf carts are not allowed. As required by the ADA, the USGA will evaluate such requests on a case-by-case basis.

Supreme Court decision forced PGA, USGA to allow golf carts

The ADA requirements are the result of a 2001 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ruled in favor of PGA Tour pro Casey Martin, who sued the PGA for the right to a golf cart during competition. Martin suffered from a circulatory disorder that made walking painful for him. He was otherwise capable of golfing.

The Court ruled 7-2 that the PGA was required to allow Martin to use a golf cart under the ADA, a decision that garnered significant controversy in the golf world from those who believe that walking and the fatigue that comes with walking 18 holes is part of the game.

Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus are among the golfers who argued against allowing exceptions for players who have difficulty walking because it gives them an unfair advantage. In short, walking is part of professional golf. If you can’t walk 18 holes, you can’t be a professional golfer.

The USGA allowed Scott Verplank to use a golf cart at the 2017 U.S. Senior Open because he suffers from diabetes (AP)

Daly cites 2017 golf cart exception

Scott Verplank was granted a request to use a golf cart during the 2017 U.S. Senior Open because he suffers from diabetes.

Daly cited Verplank’s exception when talking with USA Today and believes that he has a legal right to use a cart due to Verplank’s precedent.

“He can compete when he has a cart,” Daly said. “But when you’re hurt like I am, and this falls under the umbrella of the ADA — no doubt, I’ve researched it a little bit and my lawyers have researched it — we’ve sent nice letters (to the USGA) but nobody seems to want to approve it.”

He appears to want to prefer to fight his battle in the court of public opinion rather than the courts.

“I’m sure my lawyers want to (fight it), but I really don’t,” he said. “I don’t know what to do, honestly.”

Daly withdrew from an event last fall after collapsing with a knee injury after a tee shot. He said that he further tweaked his knee in April when a car crashed into his RV he was using to sign autographs in Hooters parking lot in Augusta, Georgia in an annual tradition of his tied to the Masters.

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Mickelson: 'Embarrassed and disappointed by my actions'

Four days later, and the enduring memory of this year’s U.S. Open — you remember, the one Brooks Koepka won — remains Phil Mickelson’s inexplicable slap-n’-chase move at the 13th hole on Saturday.

Mickelson’s strange move

What did Phil do that was so wrong? A quick visual refresher:

A remarkable sequence on Hole 13, where Phil Mickelson was assessed a two-stroke penalty for hitting a moving ball and ended up making a 10 on the hole. pic.twitter.com/kx6ieYiOGR

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2018

Mickelson got tagged with a two-stroke penalty, and later sounded an unrepentant note, saying he only chased down the rolling ball because he didn’t want to have to play from off the green once again. It was the kind of bush-league move that would have gotten you screamed at in your foursome, and the fact that Mickelson did it while at the U.S. Open struck many as inconceivable.

“Embarrassed and disappointed”

Mickelson’s initial approach was to tell anyone offended by the move to “toughen up.” But according to his wife Amy, he offered behind the scenes to withdraw from the tournament entirely. And Wednesday, Mickelson texted many reporters a formal apology:

“I know this should’ve come sooner, but it’s taken me a few days to calm down,” Mickelson wrote. “My anger and frustration got the best of me last weekend. I’m embarrassed and disappointed by my actions. It was clearly not my finest moment and I’m sorry.”

Mickelson finished the U.S. Open at T48, 15 strokes behind Koepka, so it’s not like he played himself out of a championship. But his actions set the golf world ablaze all the same, putting the sanctity-of-the-game types at odds with the it’s-all-just-a-game folks. Considering he’s got a foot in both camps, of course it would be Phil that would kick off this split. We’re done, but we’re not done, if you know what we mean.

Phil Mickelson says he’s “embarrassed and disappointed,” apologizes for moving ball incident at U.S. Open. (AP)

____ Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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U.S. Open ratings up this year despite downward trend

Brooks Koepka holds up the Golf Champion Trophy after winning the U.S. Open Golf Championship, Sunday, June 17, 2018, in Southampton, N.Y. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Brooks Koepka’s second march to a U.S. Open title drew slightly larger ratings than his first go-round, but ratings for what was once the sport’s second-most-popular major remain at historic lows.

What were the ratings for the 2018 U.S. Open?

Per Sports Media Watch, overnight ratings for Sunday’s final round on Fox came in at 3.6, up a touch over last year’s 3.5 but well down from previous highs. From 1989 to 2013, the U.S. Open’s final round had a rating of at least 5.0 each year, with marks of 6.1 in 2013 (Justin Rose edging out Phil Mickelson) and 8.5 in 2008 (Tiger Woods storming his way into a playoff). Since 2014, ratings haven’t topped 4.0.

There are, of course, multiple ways to spin statistics, and Fox noted that its numbers have grown each of the past four years:

.@FOXSports' final round coverage of the 2018 U.S. Open was Sunday's top-rated sporting event, capping four consecutive days of year-over-year growth for the @usopengolf on @FOXTV pic.twitter.com/63sswCxg1q

— FOX Sports PR (@FOXSportsPR) June 18, 2018

Plus, as Geoff Shackelford notes, the Phil Mickelson putter-slap controversy and the wretched state of the course on Saturday afternoon proved to be good news for the Golf Channel, which recorded its best U.S. Open-related numbers of the past seven years:

RATINGS: @GolfCentral Live From the U.S. Open highest-rated Saturday night Live From the U.S. Open telecast in seven years: pic.twitter.com/omeW1YBigo

— Golf Channel PR (@GolfChannelPR) June 17, 2018

Why do ratings matter?

Well, unless you shelled out hundreds of millions of dollars for the right to broadcast the U.S. Open, they really don’t have any impact on your life. The U.S. Open will always be televised somewhere you can watch it, and if you’re enjoying the tournament, it really doesn’t matter if you’re the only one watching.

That said, lower ratings can have a trickle-down effect, as broadcasters may shift lower-rated programming to other channels or try various methods of revenue trickeration (more ads, say, or more product placement within the broadcast) to recoup their investment. But if all you’re interested in is the play on the course, the ratings are a talking point, nothing more.

Why are the ratings so low in recent  years?

Well, therein lies an interesting tale.

It’s worth noting that none of the golfers were kneeling, which is the usual go-to for why ratings have declined in the NFL. No, golf has suffered the exact same fate as the NFL — more choices and more viewing options means fewer viewers for any one individual sport, regardless of how popular it once was. Ratings for all broadcast television — sports, entertainment, everything — are down by large, often double-digit figures over their high-water marks. There’s a whole textbook’s worth of explanation and rationalization behind all this, but the bottom line is simple: people have more options than just the U.S. Open on Father’s Day.

But golf also has a more direct cause for falling ratings, and it starts with a capital T. Think what you want about Tiger Woods and the state of his game, it’s indisputable that his absence has impacted the game’s overall ratings. No Tiger, no casual viewers. Of the last five U.S. Opens, Woods has played in only two … and both times, he’s missed the cut. That’s going to impact ratings, no matter what. (Woods’ opening round at this year’s U.S. Open, the first he’d played since 2015, brought Fox — surely not coincidentally — its best Thursday ratings in three years.)

As brilliant as Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson et. al. are on the course, they’re not bringing in huge ratings … and we’re now at the point where we have to consider these numbers the new normal. ____ Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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Brooks Koepka wins second straight U.S. Open

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Brooks Koepka stepped up to his approach on No. 16 on Sunday afternoon at the U.S. Open. At +1, he was a single stroke ahead of Tommy Fleetwood, who’d been in the Shinnecock Hills clubhouse for two hours after posting a record-tying 63 earlier in the day. Koepka had no margin for error, and he didn’t need any. His 122-yard approach settled just three feet from the pin, giving him a smooth shot at a birdie.

Koepka drained it, took a two-shot lead on Fleetwood, and about a half-hour later, a second straight U.S. Open trophy was his.

Koepka’s touch tops DJ’s

Playing with world no. 1 and best friend Dustin Johnson, Koepka played a steady, often brilliant round. Nowhere was that more evident than on the par-3 11th. Koepka fired his tee shot into the thick fescue and needed to drain a terrifying 12-foot putt to salvage a bogey. Meanwhile, Johnson missed a four-footer for par, unable to close the gap. Koepka and Johnson had begun the day at +3, holding a share of the lead with Tony Finau and Daniel Berger. But only Koepka went low, and none of the other three co-leaders could mount a serious challenge.

Stats told the story. For the tournament, Koepka ranked first in driving, second in strokes gained from putting, and tied for third for greens in regulation. After an opening-round 75, Koepka carded a 66 on Friday and a 72 on a carnage-ridden Saturday to set himself up for Sunday’s run. He finished Sunday with a two-under round to finish one over par for the entire tournament.

Brooks Koepka kisses the Golf Champion Trophy after winning the U.S. Open. (AP)

Koepka joins U.S. Open legends

Koepka now joins Willie Anderson, John McDermott, Bobby Jones, Ralph Guhldal, Ben Hogan, and Curtis Strange as back-to-back winners of the U.S. Open. Strange, the last player to record the feat, did so in 1988 and 1989. Anderson won a record three in a row from 1903-1905, so Koepka has that to shoot for at Pebble Beach in 2019.

Tommy Fleetwood flirts with immortality

Fleetwood unleashed the round of the week – indeed, the round of his life – on Sunday afternoon, carding a record-tying 63 to leap all the way up to +2. He missed an eight-foot putt on the 18th hole that would have given him sole possession of the U.S. Open record; instead, he’ll share it with five others. Fleetwood finished out at 3:48 Eastern Time, well before the leaders had even made the turn, and had hours to wait to see if he’d be playing on. (And, as it turned out, that missed putt cost him a chance at a playoff with Koepka, too.)

Patrick Reed sprints, then stumbles

For a brief moment, it appeared reigning Masters champion Patrick Reed might haul his “Captain America” nickname out of the Ryder Cup and into a major. Reed started the day with five birdies in the first seven holes, claiming a share of the lead. But he stumbled on the back stretch, bogeying 11 and 12 and falling as far as four strokes off the lead. He couldn’t quite close in the final holes, missing too many long birdies, and finished at +4 for the week.

Look for further U.S. Open coverage from Yahoo Sports, direct from Shinnecock Hills. 

____ Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.

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