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After a bit more drama than was necessary, Phil Mickelson will play in the US Open next month at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California.
Mickelson initially had said he would not take a special exemption from the USGA into the US 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 US 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 US 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 honoured 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 US 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.”
Alex Fitzpatrick, Joe Long, Barclay Brown, Jack Dyer and their GB&I teammates all left Florida’s Seminole Golf Club disappointed following their narrow 14-12 Walker Cup loss against the United States. However, at least the quartet had the consolation of reaching personal best positions on the World Amateur Golf Ranking following the match.
Fitzpatrick and reigning Amateur Champion Long made one-ranking rises to 11th and 26th, respectively; Brown moved nine spots to 70th; while Dyer jumped 16 ranking places to 174th.
Becky Brewerton claimed her maiden Rose Series title with an extra-time win in the third event of the season at Brokenhurst Manor in Hampshire.
The 38-year-old former British Women’s Stroke Play champion closed with a birdie to card a level-par 70 and share first place with Brogan Townend and local favourite Liz Young before clinching the £10,000 first prize with par on the second hole of a sudden-death play-off.
Thalia Martin also birdied the final hole to claim a share of fourth place alongside Whitney Hillier on 71 while Michele Thomson, Gemma Clews, Sophie Stone, Gabby Cowley, Rachel Drummond and Dulcie Sverdloff all tied for sixth place one shot further back.
Young’s play-off reversal ended her hopes of claiming back-to-back Rose Series titles, having won the previous week’s event over the Duchess course at Woburn. Cowley won the first of this year’s Rose Series events at West Lancs.
Thomas Bjørn will make his Legends Tour debut at the Farmfoods European Legends Links Championship hosted by Ian Woosnam at Trevose Golf & Country Club in Cornwall, England, on 18-20 June.
The 2018 European Ryder Cup captain turned 50 on 18 February.
“I am really looking forward to making my Legends Tour debut,” the 15-time European Tour winner said. “I have known many of these guys for a long time, so I am excited to be able to catch up and spend some time with them again.
“The guys are still incredibly competitive, and the standard of golf will be very high, so I know I will need to be razor sharp in order to compete where I want to be at the top of leaderboards.
“I think it is a really exciting time to be involved with the Legends Tour following the changes over the last 12 months and I am intrigued to see what the future holds.”
This year’s Legends Tour comprises a 13-tournament schedule beginning with the Kitchenaid Senior PGA Championship 27-30 May at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and culminating with the Senior Italian Open 5-7 May at a venue to be confirmed. There was no play for Europe’s 50-and-older circuit last year because of COVID-19.
After much speculation, Annika Sörenstam has committed to play in this year’s US Senior Women’s Open, from 29 July-1 August, 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 US Women’s Open awaits at the US 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 US Women’s Open victories in her tally of 72 LPGA victories. She last played in the US 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.”
Last week’s Betfred British Masters, played at the Belfry, marked the start of the final stage of this year’s Ryder Cup qualification process, with all points earned on the European and World points lists now multiplied by two.
Heading into the event in Sutton Coldfield, England, Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Rory McIlroy occupied the qualification places on the European points list, with Viktor Hovland, Lee Westwood, Victor Perez and Paul Casey currently holding down the four places up for grabs on the World points list. There are four captain’s picks available this year.
The qualification process closes on 12 September after the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
The British Masters also was the first event in a mini-series offering 10 places in next month’s US Open at Torrey Pines. The 10 players, not otherwise exempt, who accumulate the most points in the British Masters, the Made in Himmerland event in Denmark and the Porsche European Open in Germany will earn spots in the field for this year’s third major.
Former world No 1 Jason Day has indicated he will not play in next month’s US 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 6 June. He dropped to 62nd after missing the cut at the recent Wells Fargo Championship.
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 ahead of last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson. “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.
Minjee Lee has become the first player to contribute to Golf Australia’s Give Back programme. The 24-year-old world No 12 has donated a percentage of her 2020 winnings to the programme which helps fund the next generation of talented young Australian players.
“I think it’s a really special thing to do,” said Lee, whose own career benefited by being a Karrie Webb Scholarship recipient in both 2013 and 2014. “All the things I got out of Golf Australia’s high-performance pathway really helped me to this point in my career, so I’m really happy to be able to give back to the kids who are in the programme right now.”
The idea behind the Give Back programme is simple. Once Australian players reach a world-ranking threshold – top 125 for men and top 50 for women – they are obliged to return a small percentage of their prize money to their country’s high-performance programme.
The future of Stockwood Park Golf Centre, the popular municipal course in Luton, England, has been secured for the time being at least.
The 27-hole public facility, which has more than 250 members, was earmarked for possible closure by Luton Borough Council but it now had a stay of execution following an online public petition which attracted more than 9,000 signatures.
“We have had a huge response with a wide range of passionate views put forward,” admitted a council official. “The golf course and the park are clearly valued by a large number of people. We have therefore agreed to undertake a long-term master planning exercise for the whole of the park to explore how we can best use the whole of the park for the benefit of the wider community.
“The master plan is a big piece of work so the golf club will continue to operate as it is now for the time being, but we will undertake some necessary compliance work to the clubhouse in the next few weeks.”
Colin Callander and Alistair Tait