There will be no title defense for one of the most thrilling and unexpected victories in modern golf history.
Phil Mickelson, who ended a two-year winless streak by claiming the Wanamaker Trophy last year at age 50, will not compete in this week’s PGA Championship. Mickelson, dogged by public ridicule after what he called the “obnoxious greed” of the PGA Tour in an interview with Golf Digest, will extend his hiatus from golf and skip the season’s second major championship, one year after he became golf’s oldest major champion. He hasn’t competed since the Saudi International in early February.
Mickelson did not make the announcement; the PGA of America did late Friday via social media.
The news extends a stunning fall from grace in recent months for Mickelson, a fan and media darling for so many years whose popularity steered Ford’s advertising campaign with the phrase “What will Phil do next?” in the early 2000s. Well, with apologies to Ford, we’re still not sure, and neither perhaps is Mickelson. He was among an unknown number of players to be denied a release by the PGA Tour to compete next month in the LIV Golf Invitational Series’ debut event near London. The rival tour, with Greg Norman as its figurehead, has been widely criticized because of its backing by Saudi Arabia, with its history of human-rights abuses.
Though Mickelson, a six-time major champion, won’t appear at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, rival Tiger Woods is entered and scheduled to speak to the media on Tuesday.
For the rest of the field list, click HERE.
England Golf’s first Hero’s Handshake award of 2022 has been given to Durham teenager Jamie Jopling. The prize, co-presented by the Golf Foundation’s Young Ambassadors, recognises young volunteers or those who champion junior participation.
The judges were impressed by Jamie’s dedication to encouraging others at his club, particularly his fellow juniors. They also highlighted his use of social media to openly and positively discuss living with autism, his journey in golf, and the challenges he has overcome.
The 14-year-old, a member at Ramside Golf Club, said: “I am happy and a little bit overwhelmed to have won this award. It was the best surprise … it really does make everything worthwhile. My aim now is to kick on and hopefully become a scratch golfer by the age of 16.”
The Asian Tour released the entry list for its second International Series event. The International Series England tournament is scheduled for June 2-5 at Slaley Hall Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort in northern England, the tour’s first sanctioned event in the country. Only one player ranked among the world’s top 100 – No. 71 J.H. Kim of South Korea – was among the entrants, which included former major champions Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland and Michael Campbell of New Zealand.
The tournament, the second of six International Series dates on the Asian Tour schedule, will feature a $2 million purse. Perhaps more significantly, the event will offer as many as eight spots into the following week’s LIV Golf Invitational Series, to be played June 9-11 at Centurion Club near London. The Asian Tour’s International Series England tournament was moved to one week earlier to accommodate the LIV Golf event.
American Sihwan Kim, who won the International Series Thailand event in March, is among the entrants for the England tournament.
TAP-INS
Robert Fryer, a former USGA employee, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison and must pay $3.4 million in restitution and fines for his role in a U.S. Open ticket scheme, according to the Justice Department. Fryer, 40, of Perkasie, Pennsylvania, was found to have embezzled tickets from 2013 to 2019 and sold them to two brokers in suburban Philadelphia (READ MORE).
The PGA of America has formed a strategic alliance with the Royal Moroccan Golf Federation, and Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat will serve as the PGA’s first facility partnership in North Africa (READ MORE).
Thomas Bjørn was appointed as a European assistant captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup, team captain Henrik Stenson announced. Bjørn, who played in three Ryder Cups, served as an assistant in four other matches and captained Europe to victory in 2018 against the U.S. The biennial matches will be played Sept. 28-Oct. 1, 2023, at Marco Simone in Rome (READ MORE).
The 2022 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship will be played this fall at Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Thailand, officials announced. Tournament dates will be Oct. 27-30. The winner receives invitations to the Masters and Open Championship (READ MORE).
William Knauth of Carnegie Mellon was named winner of the Byron Nelson Award, the Golf Coaches Association of America and the Salesmanship Club of Dallas announced. Knauth, of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, will graduate this month with a 3.91 grade-point average and dual majors in physics and mathematical sciences. The award, in honor of the late PGA Tour star, recognizes achievement in the classroom, on the golf course and in the community, with special emphasis on good citizenship (READ MORE).
Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colorado, will host the PGA Tour’s BMW Championship in 2024, the Western Golf Association announced. Tournament dates were not disclosed. The course hosted the PGA Tour’s International, with its modified-Stableford scoring, from 1986 to 2006 (READ MORE).
Rachel Heck, a Stanford sophomore from Memphis, Tennessee, has signed an NIL deal with Nike, becoming the sportswear manufacturer’s first college athlete under the NCAA’s new name, image and license policy, she announced via Twitter. Heck, the reigning NCAA champion, and her Cardinal teammates advanced to the NCAA Division I tournament field for play that begins Friday at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Callaway announced record first-quarter results, prompting the Carlsbad, California-based golf company to increase its 2022 outlook. The company’s stock trades under the ticker symbol ELY on the New York Stock Exchange (READ MORE).
Staff and Wire Reports