5. On the other side of the coin
The Pro-Am portion of the tournament, that is… Larry Fitzgerald and Kevin Streelman took the tile for the second time.
- Golfweek’s Adam Schupak…”This is the second time in three years that Fitzgerald and Streelman, who have never finished worse than T-27 in five appearances as a team, have won the title. In doing so, they became the first team to win the pro-am twice since Hubert Green and Dean Spanos in 1985 and 1990. Only four teams have claimed multiple victories at an event that dates to 1937 when it was called the Bing Crosby Clambake.”
- “Perhaps some of that success can be attributed to their on-course chemistry. The two walked off the 18th green joking with each other, and with Fitzgerald, an eight handicap, draping an arm over the shoulder of his partner, who made a serious run at the individual title on Sunday, too.”
Full piece.
6. Meanwhile, in Bogota…
Golf Channel’s Nick Menta…”With his win Sunday in Colombia, Mito Pereira just put himself in the mix for a PGA Tour card and maybe even a spot in this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.”
- “Four back to start the final round, Periera fired a final-round 64 with a 72nd-hole eagle to win the Country Club de Bogota Championship by two over Ben Kholes.”
- “The 24-year-old Chilean carded four birdies, two eagles and a bogey to steal his second professional victory, the follow-up to a 2016 PGA Tour Latinoamerica title.”
Full piece.
7. State of the Phil
Via ESPN’s Bob Harig…”Ahead was a controversial trip to Saudi Arabia for a big, seven-figure appearance fee and a European Tour event in which Mickelson began to find some form. He was in contention during the final round and eventually finished third — his best result by miles going back to Pebble Beach.”
- “But it was a soulless event in the Middle East with maybe a few dozen fans on any hole and fairways as wide as the Red Sea. Sure, Phil got some confidence back, perhaps some momentum. But could he bring it all the way back across 11 time zones to California?”
- “The fact that he did — shooting 68 at Spyglass, 64 at Monterrey Peninsula and 67 at Pebble Beach to put himself in the final group with Taylor — suggested Phil’s clubs were starting to do the talking.”
- “What’s nice is I knew I was playing well start of the year,” he said. “In the first couple of tournaments, I ended up not really controlling my thoughts and my visualization very well. And these last two weeks, I’ve started to see things a lot clearer and execute a lot better without any type of negativity. So, I’ve been much more assertive and aggressive and controlling my mind a little bit better.”
Full piece.
8. Phil’s final act?
Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch…”It’s clear that Mickelson does not intend to fade quietly into his golden years. He has lost weight but none of his competitive fire. But it’s also apparent that he has an eye on his next act, and that act won’t involve imitating past greats by plying his trade on the senior circuit while doffing his ceremonial cap as he exits major championships on Friday afternoons.”
- “Phil Inc. has a much longer runway than Phil the player. Mickelson understands that his power is no longer dependent on his performances against kids on the PGA Tour but is best exploited in controlled environments where established celebrity has currency.”
- “That explains his late conversion to social media, where he has diligently built an image of a self-deprecating jock that showcases for a new audience his enviable skill as a corporate pitchman. His viral calves, Stars & Stripes onesie and Phireside chats have all been in service of that image. So too his bravado about hitting bombs, despite a driving distance rank of 40th that suggests his bombs are more like hand grenades compared to his younger rivals.”
Full piece.
9. Nearly ready to call it a day?
Mark Townsend at National Club Golfer presents these quotes from Jason Day…”I’ve talked to my wife about this a lot,” Day said midway through the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. “I’m like, ‘I think I’m nearly done here’, just because of how much pain I was in.”
- “And then on top of it how stressful it is to play competitive golf week-in and week-out and try and live up to the expectations not only with yourself, but with what everyone else thinks that you should be doing.”
- …”Sometimes I wake up and I feel like I’m 50, sometimes I wake up and I feel like I’m 70 and sometimes I feel like I’m 18 again.”
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