JERSEY CITY, N.J.—Phil Mickelson is the voice of experience in team competition, and there's no comparison.
He was on the putting green yesterday morning at the Presidents Cup, explaining to some of the six rookies on the U.S. team why the teams might change for the final day of practice, the schedule after the team photo, just about anything short of how to tie their shoes.
ATLANTA—Justin Thomas is the FedEx Cup champion—a surprise to no one who saw him power his way to scoring records, his first major at the PGA Championship, and more PGA Tour victories than anyone this season.
Standing next to him at the trophy ceremony was Xander Schauffele, who never imagined being at the Tour Championship—much less winning it.
ATLANTA—All 30 players who made it to the Tour Championship this week have a mathematical shot at the FedEx Cup and its $10-million prize.
That includes Pat Perez, the No. 11 seed, who calculated his own odds of winning.
“All the top guys would have to play bad, which they haven't done all year,” Perez noted yesterday.
LAKE FOREST, Ill.—The clutch shots down the stretch in the BMW Championship belonged to everyone except the winner.
Marc Leishman didn't really need them.
Staked to a five-shot lead, and determined to not let another FedEx Cup playoff event get away from him, Leishman never gave anyone much of a chance yesterday at Conway Farms.
LAKE FOREST, Ill.—Marc Leishman left his golf clubs in his garage during his week break from the FedEx Cup playoff and it didn't change anything.
He made 10 birdies in the opening round of the BMW Championship for a nine-under 62 to build a two-shot lead.
Jason Day, meanwhile, made the biggest change of his career and had a 64—his best start in 16 months.
OLD WESTBURY, N.Y.—In a FedEx Cup playoff opener that felt like a heavyweight bout, Dustin Johnson delivered back-to-back blows to beat Jordan Spieth in The Northern Trust.
One was a putt from 18 feet.
The other was a drive that travelled 341 yards.
Ten days ago, Rory McIlroy wasn't sure if he was going to play the rest of the year.
A week off made him feel good enough that a nagging rib injury can be managed well enough for him to compete in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
And with just over a month before he shuts it down for the year, McIlroy wants to do more than just play.
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Justin Thomas emerged from the shadow of a longtime friend and won the PGA Championship to take his place among the young elite in golf.
With two big breaks to start the back nine, a chip-in for birdie to seize control, and a timely seven-iron that soared over the water to a peninsula green, Thomas closed with a three-under 68 yesterday for a two-shot victory.
AKRON, Ohio—Rory McIlroy had his best friend on the bag and his best start on American soil in 18 months.
For Jordan Spieth, it was more of the same with two long putts and another comment filled with bravado directed at his caddie.
Both of them opened with a three-under 67 at the Bridgestone Invitational, leaving them two shots behind Thomas Pieters of Belgium.
AKRON, Ohio—Jordan Spieth is one week away from a shot at the career Grand Slam.
But he's still more interested in looking behind him.
Spieth returned to Dallas with the claret jug, and it wasn't more than a few hours before he already had watched highlights—twice—of his British Open victory at Royal Birkdale.
