Golf Connecting

Joe Highsmith is a college senior not unlike so many other college seniors this time of year, uncertainty their bane. What’s next? The question is a weighty one, certain to induce sleepless nights, or at least handwringing, in Highsmith’s de facto major. He is studying to be a professional golfer and good entry-level jobs are

Phil Mickelson, out of the public eye for more than two months in the wake of inflammatory comments about the upstart Saudi-backed golf league, has filed for a release from the PGA Tour to play in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational event, according to a statement from his longtime agent Steve Loy on Monday. In

6:33 PM ET Phil Mickelson has registered to play in next month’s PGA Championship and the U.S. Open in June, and his agents have requested a release from the PGA Tour to allow the six-time major champion to play in the first event of the Saudi Arabian-financed LIV Golf Invitational Series in London in June.

Trump National Doral will host the $50 million finale for the upcoming LIV Golf Invitational series. Monday’s announcement, a move long rumored in the golf world, returns professional golf to Doral, an annual stop on the PGA Tour from 1962 to 2016. The tour had ended its 45-year relationship with the venue after Cadillac declined

10:14 PM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Nasa Hataoka ran away with the DIO Implant LA Open on Sunday at Wilshire Country Club to open the LPGA Tour’s two-week run in the Los Angeles area. Four strokes ahead entering the round after Jin Young Ko’s late meltdown Saturday, Hataoka closed with a 4-under 67

Nasa Hataoka took charge and didn’t leave room for anyone to make a run at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles. She started the final round of the DIO Implant LA Open with a four-shot lead over Hannah Green. It was the eighth time the 23-year-old from Japan had held the 54-hole lead in an

There was no doubt about who was going to walk off with the title on Sunday at the DIO Implant LA Open. Japan‘s Nasa Hataoka began the final round at Wilshire Country Club with a four-shot lead and never flinched, shooting a four-under 67 to win by five after posting a 15-under 269 total. Hataoka,

6:49 PM ET Associated Press AVONDALE, La. — Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele held off Sam Burns and Billy Horschel by two strokes Sunday in a record-setting, wire-to-wire victory in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Cantlay and Schauffele closed with an even-par-72 in the alternate-shot final round to finish at 29-under 259 at TPC

Greg Norman has never seen a publicity stunt that didn’t catch his eye. Still, in many ways his latest was among the most outrageous. Late last week Norman, 67, spoke with News Corp. in Australia about making a comeback to competitive golf after a 13-year absence, with an interest in participating in the Open Championship

10:27 PM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Nasa Hataoka took advantage of Jin Young Ko‘s late meltdown Saturday to take a four-stroke lead into the final round of the DIO Implant LA Open. Tied for the lead with Hataoka after a birdie on the par-5 15th, the top-ranked Ko bogeyed the par-4 16th and

It was an absolutely horrible break that would have had any of us griping about it for eternity. What the hell is a dead, hollow, three-foot high tree stump doing in the playing area of a golf course? Branden Grace had every reason to be ask that question on Saturday in the Zurich Classic of

There are no World Ranking points up for grabs this week in the Zurich Classic, and the volatility of the non-stroke-play format always leads to an eclectic leaderboard. Funny, then, that two of the best teams in the field occupy the top of the leaderboard with 18 holes to play. Scottie Scheffler’s the highest-ranked player

7:45 PM ET Associated Press AVONDALE, La — Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele shot a 4-under 68 in alternate-shot play Friday at windswept TPC of Louisiana to maintain a one-stroke lead in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup partners opened with a tournament-record 59 on Thursday in best-ball play.

Steve Stricker is not one for attention, but returning to competitive golf after his triumphant stint as U.S. Ryder Cup captain last fall was a curtain call that the 55-year-old was likely looking forward to. Little did he know the lengths it which it would take for it to continue after being interrupted. Stricker announced

11:41 PM ET ESPN News Services LOS ANGELES — Jin Young Ko had five back-nine birdies in a 7-under 64 at demanding Wilshire Country Club for a share of the second-round lead Friday with Nasa Hataoka in the DIO Implant LA Open. Five strokes behind first-round leader Alison Lee after a 71, the top-ranked Ko

Collin Morikawa is employing an interesting strategy on Day 1 at the Zurich Classic at New Orleans. The strategy being, “Let’s try to put the ball in the hole without using a putter.” And through the first nine holes it was a strategy that paid dividends. Paired with Viktor Hovland in the tour’s only team-centric

Jason Day is in contention again on the PGA Tour. And who’s that with him? No … seriously, who is that with him? Jason Scrivener? You’re forgiven—even the most diehard golf fans among us—if the inclusion of Scrivener on PGA Tour leaderboard caused you to do a double take. In fact, the second question in

8:07 PM ET Associated Press AVONDALE, La. — Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele are a good team even when they’re playing for cash and not just a flag. Cantlay holed a 25-foot eagle putt early and chipped in from 40 feet for birdie late, while Schauffele contributed six birdies of his own, and their three

USE OF AND/OR REGISTRATION ON ANY PORTION OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OUR VISITOR AGREEMENT (UPDATED 1/1/20), PRIVACY AND COOKIES NOTICE (UPDATED 1/1/20) AND CALIFORNIA PRIVACY NOTICE. IF YOU ARE A CALIFORNIA RESIDENT AND WOULD LIKE TO EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT TO OPT-OUT OF THIRD-PARTY DATA SHARING, YOU MAY DO SO HERE: DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION. GOLF DIGEST MAY

10:34 PM ET Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Alison Lee shot a 5-under 66 on Thursday afternoon at breezy Wilshire Country Club to take the first-round lead in the DIO Implant LA Open. The resurgent former UCLA star had a bogey-free round in testing conditions to start the LPGA Tour’s two-week run in the Los

There are ways to prepare for a PGA Tour event. Being involved in a car accident is not among those recommended. Thankfully, David Lipsky wasn’t hurt, nor was anyone else in the fender bender the 33-year-old tour rookie was involved in Tuesday morning as he was driving to TPC Louisiana ahead of a practice round

Admit it. You saw the name and thought, “Wait, there’s another Jay Haas?” No offense to the man, the one and only Jay Haas; he accomplished much in his career. But it is a career that is very much in the past tense. Haas hasn’t played a full PGA Tour schedule since 2005. His last

7:35 PM ET Associated Press HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Harold Varner III shot an 8-under 63 to take a one-shot lead in the RBC Heritage on Saturday in pursuit of his first PGA Tour victory. Varner had eight birdies in a bogey-free round to match Cameron Young‘s opening score as the lowest at Harbour

Steph Curry is launching a junior golf tour to help serve the game’s underprivileged and overlooked markets. Curry’s “Underrated” brand is venturing into the golf space in conjunction with the AGJA to host five tournaments. According to a release the endeavor hopes to provide avenues for student-athletes to the game in hopes of increasing participation

8:19 AM ET PGA Tour action is usually about one player. Not this week. In a brief break from the usual routine, players will pair up in two-man teams for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, beginning Thursday at TPC Louisiana. Get ESPN+ here | Download the app | WatchESPN As always, this event will

Jay Haas was 19 years old when he made his first start in a PGA Tour event, the Greater Greensboro Open back in 1973 as an amateur. Forty-nine years later, at age 68, he’s teeing it up for the 799th time (second only to Mark Brooks’ 803) when he partners with his son Bill at

PGA Professional Championship Alex Goodlett Strong winds took a toll on the field in the final round of the PGA Professional Championship on Wednesday, with one notable exception, Jesse Mueller, who accordingly won in a breeze. Mueller, 39, the general manager of the Grand Canyon University Golf Course in Phoenix and a volunteer assistant coach

2:40 PM ET Associated Press Pebble Beach is the third course to become an anchor site for the U.S. Open, with the USGA announcing Wednesday four U.S. Opens and four U.S. Women’s Opens over the next 26 years. Pebble Beach joins Pinehurst No. 2 and Oakmont Country Club as anchor sites, a strategy that allows

The Zurich Classic of New Orleans is where newly minted Masters champion Scottie Scheffler makes his return to golf after his victory at Augusta. The 25-year-old from Dallas will team with another Texas, 2019 Zurich winner Ryan Palmer, as they look to knock off last year’s Australian dream team of Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman.

12:59 PM ET The only place you’ll see four of the last five NFL MVPs competing at the same time and same place this year is on a golf course. This year’s version of Capital One’s The Match will feature a foursome of Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. The 12-hole exhibition