Phil Offering Pro-Bono Redo Of Torrey North
/Tod Leonard reports that Phil Mickelson is offering to renovate Torrey Pines North, under consideration for refurbishment by the city of San Diego's golf division, for free.
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When you come to think of it that is the secret of most of the great holes all over the world. They all have some kind of a twist. C.B. MACDONALD
Phil Signs Off On Butch's New Pupil
/Brian Wacker reports on the first day of Gary Woodland's life after Randy Smith fired the lad and it seems Butch Harmon got the "OK" of his prized pupils before adding Woodland to his stable.
Read MoreThe Four-Day, Single Pro-Am Partner Event Not-Played-At-The-Classic-Club-Effect: Phil Returns To Desert
/Bones, get ready to remember a new pro-am partner's name every day! For Immediate Release:
Two-time event champion Phil Mickelson commits to play Humana Challenge
Immensely popular Southern California native and four-time major winner
has an enviable record in the Coachella Valley
LA QUINTA, Calif. – Phil Mickelson, a two-time winner of the Humana Challenge and the leading all-time money winner in the event, has committed to play in an event where he has enjoyed immense success -- the 2012 Humana Challenge in partnership with the Clinton Foundation.
Set to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in May, Mickelson is the second Hall of Fame selection to enter the Humana Challenge field. Greg Norman, winner of two British Opens and captain of the International Team at the last two Presidents Cups, also committed to his first Humana Challenge since 1986.
“I’m honored to join President Clinton and the Clinton Foundation for the Humana Challenge,” Mickelson said. “I admire President Clinton and the charitable work of his Foundation, which helps millions of people around the world, and I applaud him for joining Humana in using the tournament to help promote health and wellness. Some of my best seasons have come after starting at this event and I’m really excited about coming back again.”
Phil Headed To World Golf Hall Of Fame
/Garry Smits says Mickelson's induction is the subject of the special World Golf Hall of Fame press conference in Singapore today.
Read MorePhil Gets Into Golf Membership Program Biz...
/ Gene Yasuda reports that Phil Mickelson has invested in the "M Club," co-owned by his agent Steve Loy with a $5000 initiation and $605 monthly dues, providing access to four courses I haven't heard of. But that's not the point.
Read More“Nobody can tell me how Sam Snead’s croquet (putting style)...is illegal, and then tell me (the belly putter) is legal.”
/Rex Hoggard catches up with Dave Stockton during his book tour stop at Golf Channel headquarters and asks about the belly putter.
“(Mickelson) is only going to get better at doing it. He’s got the eyes, he’s got the feel,” Stockton says. “With it anchored like that you’re only going to repeat (the stroke).”
To be clear, Stockton has no plans to convert to a long putter, nor would he advise one of his students to try one, at least not from the outset. In fact, he’s still not sure the long putter’s use should be legal, at least at the highest level.
“I’m old school. I don’t understand how you can anchor it on your body,” he says. “Nobody can tell me how Sam Snead’s croquet (putting style), where nothing is connected but just because you’re straddling your line is illegal, and then tell me (the belly putter) is legal.”
Jemsek Wants To Talk To Phil About His "Hatchet" Job On Rees
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Alex Miceli reports that Cog Hill head man and all-around nice guy Frank Jemsek would like to talk to Phil Mickelson about why he finds Rees Jones' butchery of nice golf courses so awful.Stockton On Phil Using Belly Putter: "He likes to be ahead of the curve and obviously this is where the curve is going."
/John Strege catches up to Phil Mickelson short game advisor Dave Stockton, who was busy killing birds and was surprised to find out his student had gone from a real putter to a belly-bracer.
Read MoreSo I Watched Phil With The Long Putter Today...
/And I can say he looked really good over the putts inside ten feet and positively dreadful over the long ones. Of course, as Steve Elling notes, only a few hours into using the long thing, this is not a surprise.
Read More"It's awkward to me. But so many guys have had success with it that I thought I'd give it a try."
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Steve Elling on the wild scene at the putting green with belly putters seemingly everywhere you looked Thursday. But all eyes will be on Phil Mickelson's bag.Phil Goes To Long Putter; Gives Him Something To Talk To Vijay About
/Today's pro-am at the Deutsche Bank Championship, playing the back nine behind good buddy Vijay Singh, who has long been using a similar looking long thingy. Hope they can share notes!
Capitalist Phil Suggests America Look To Communist China For Job Growth Inspiration!
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It was one of those moments you watch and think, why am I watching the Golf Channel tag along with Barclays CEO Bob Diamond and Five Guys franchisee Phil Mickelson as they bumped fists with the Charlie Foxes of the world staring at their stock monitors and in general, sell you on the wonders of this week's sponsor. Phil: "We've outlawed the paddle grip for crying out loud, I don't know why; that was legal for three decades."
/Alex Myers focused on Phil's comments today on not ruling out the belly putter, but I of course was jumping for joy when he noted that the USGA did outlaw the dreaded, horrible, blatantly criminal paddle grip, which was nothing more than a slight indentation at the top of the grip, and all because putting geniuses Stockton, Archer and Crenshaw used one. (Actually that's not entirely true, but I just wanted to get a nasty email from Frank Hannigan at some point today.)
Read More"Sir, if this wasn't your first tournament, you would have known to pay more attention when I'm hitting driver."
/Bob Carney posts some of the Golf Digest mail regarding the PGA, including another fan of the broadcast, a rave from Atlanta about the host course (shocking!) and this from Billy Duke, who witnessed this and had to share the story:
Read MoreRees Gets Personal Fending Off Phil's Criticisms
/So much for a gentleman's game! Rees Jones, better known now as "the guy who did this one," has fired back at Phil Mickelson's criticism of Atlanta Athletic Club as an example of lousy modern design.
"Phil's just trying to round up some course-design work for himself," Jones, above, said in an interview. Mickelson had complained about Jones's course revisions at Mickelson's hometown Torrey Pines, and the Atlanta Athletic Club, site of this week's PGA Championship. He griped that the penal style at Atlanta "doesn't let the average guy play."
And Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman Tweeted this yesterday:
