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After a bit more drama than was necessary, Phil Mickelson will play in the U.S. Open next month at Torrey Pines.
Mickelson initially had said he would not take a special exemption from the USGA into the U.S. Open if one were offered because he believed he should play his way into the championship. But he accepted the spot in the field last week when it was offered.
Given Mickelson’s history in the U.S. Open – he has finished second a record six times in the one major championship he has not won – the exemption came as no surprise, especially with his ties to the area.
“Winning the U.S. Open has been a lifelong and elusive dream, and I’ve come close so many times,” Mickelson said in a USGA statement announcing the exemption. “You can’t win if you don’t play. I’m honored and appreciative of the USGA for the opportunity and look forward to playing in my hometown on a golf course I grew up on.”
Mickelson is the sixth player since 2010 to receive a special exemption, joining Tom Watson, Vijay Singh, Retief Goosen, Jim Furyk and Ernie Els (twice).
Until he accepted the exemption, Mickelson had planned to play in a Monday 36-hole qualifying event after the Memorial Tournament in an effort to earn a spot for his 30th U.S. Open appearance.
When Jon Rahm spoke last week in a pre-tournament interview at the AT&T Byron Nelson, he addressed his mixed thoughts about the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The 26-year-old Spaniard, who entered play in Texas as the No. 3-ranked-player in the world, said a gold medal is still one of his goals and he does want to participate in the 2021 competition.
But he also said he does not blame fellow touring pros such as Dustin Johnson and Adam Scott who have made public their intent to skip the Olympics.
“I can understand why a lot of people are prioritizing the FedEx Cup events and great golf events,” he said. “The Olympics are relatively new for golf and I don’t blame them.”
After much speculation, Annika Sörenstam has committed to play in this year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Open, July 29-Aug. 1 at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Connecticut.
The 10-time major winner returned to competitive action in February after a 13-year hiatus. She finished 74th in the Gainbridge Classic on the LPGA Tour.
“USGA championships set themselves apart with world-class venues and world-class fields, and I know the same type of challenge I used to relish at a U.S. Women’s Open awaits at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open,” Sörenstam said in a statement. “I am looking forward to the opportunity to compete, and to do it with my family by my side.”
Sörenstam includes three U.S. Women’s Open victories in her tally of 72 LPGA victories. She last played in the U.S. Women’s Open in 2008.
“When I finished that round at Interlachen, I’m not sure I would have expected to compete for another USGA title in the future,” she said, “but to have this opportunity now, at this stage of life, is incredible.”
R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers has given succour to golf aficionados hoping to attend this year’s Open Championship at Royal St. George’s. In an update on hosting this year’s championship, the R&A boss said:
“The situation with the COVID-19 pandemic continues to improve in the UK and the rapid rollout of the vaccine program gives us growing confidence that we will be able to welcome a significant number of fans to the championship as part of a reduced capacity model.
“The pandemic has certainly not gone away, however, and is still extracting a terrible human cost in some parts of the world. Our thoughts and best wishes continue to be with all those affected.”
Slumbers has not put a number on how many fans the R&A anticipates will be allowed to attend the championship, which was canceled last year because of COVID-19.
The R&A was able to cancel last year’s Open because insurance covered losses from not staging the 149th running of the game’s oldest major. The Open was the only men’s major not staged in 2020.
“It has been too long since we have been able to see the world’s best men’s golfers competing on one of our greatest links courses and I’m sure you are looking forward as eagerly as I am to what will be a truly memorable sporting occasion,” Slumbers said.
Former world No 1 Jason Day has indicated he will not play in next month’s U.S. Open sectional qualification process.
The decision means the Australian can only play at Torrey Pines if he battles his way back into the top 60 in the world ranking by the end of the Memorial on June 6. He dropped to 62nd after missing the cut at the recent Wells Fargo Championship, then missed the cut again last weekend at the AT&T Byron Nelson.
Day explained he had committed to play in a corporate event on the day of the 36-hole sectional qualifiers.
“I’m not going to qualify, I’ve got to earn my way into that spot,” he said before last week’s tournament. “It’s nothing against qualifying for the tournament. It’s just that in my mind, I’ve got to earn it.
“It’s interesting to be in this situation. To be honest, I’m totally content where I am right now. I’m here for a reason. What I need to do is get out of it and push forward and get my ranking back where it needs to be.”
The Australian’s position is also complicated by the fact his wife, Ellie, is expecting their fourth child in the next few weeks.
“I’m on call waiting for her,” he added.
Day has won twice at Torrey Pines in the past and has accumulated six other top-10 finishes.
The newly established Forme Tour, created in the wake of the cancellation of Mackenzie Tour play in 2021, announced last week an eight-tournament schedule that will begin play next month.
“We will play tournaments on eight outstanding golf courses, and I’m confident the players will appreciate the beauty and challenge each venue we play,” said Greg Carlson, the executive director of the new developmental circuit.
The season begins June 23-26 in Watkinsville, Georgia, and concludes Sept. 7-10 in Ringoes, New Jersey.
The Forme Tour will provide its top finishers a path to the Korn Ferry Tour.
In declaring a women’s golf regional tournament a weather washout last week, the NCAA reverted to pre-event seedings to decide which school and players would advance to the national championship event that begins Friday at Grayhawk Golf Club in Arizona.
The NCAA’s games committee then announced that its policy dictated that the top six teams and top three individuals (not on an advancing team) would move on.
Louisiana State, Mississippi, Baylor, Oregon, Maryland and Alabama were the teams to advance.
The individual players who moved through were Karen Fredgaard (Houston), Nataliya Guseva (Miami, Fla.) and Hanna Alberto (Sam Houston State).
Tap-Ins
Linn Grant of Sweden, a sophomore at Arizona State ranked No. 2 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, leads a list of 10 collegians on the Annika Award watch list released last week (READ MORE). ... ESPN announces former PGA of America president Suzy Whaley will contribute to the network's coverage of this week’s PGA Championship as an analyst. ... Gaming company BetMGM is announced as the official gaming partner of the LPGA Tour (READ MORE). ... Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore are chosen as the 2021 recipients of the Donald Ross Award from the American Society of Golf Course Architects (READ MORE). ... The PGA Merchandise Show announces updates for when it returns as an in-person event Jan. 25-28 in Orlando, Florida (READ MORE). ... The TaylorMade golf equipment company is sold to Centroid Investment Partners, a private equity firm based in Seoul, South Korea (READ MORE). ... For the first time, Patriot Golf Days will be held during Memorial Day weekend. The partnership between Folds of Honor and the PGA of America provides financial help and academic scholarships to veterans and their dependents (INFORMATION).
Staff and Wire Reports