Wheatcroft’s 62 ahead by 1
SILVIS, Ill. — Steve Wheatcroft shot a careerbest 9-under 62 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead in the John Deere Classic.
Wheatcroft birdied seven of the final nine holes to finish a shot ahead of Michael Kim. Johnson Wagner, Nick Taylor, Andres Romero and Joel Dahmen shot openinground 64s. Francesco Molinari, who won the Quicken Loans National two weeks ago, was among a group of players three strokes back.
Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, the highest-ranked player in the field, withdrew because of a right shoulder injury.
A winner of two tournaments in 17 LPGA seasons, the 60-year-old Crosby owns a one-shot advantage over England’s Trish Johnson, Laura Davies and Sweden’s Liselotte Neumann heading into the second round.
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — Kenny Perry and Mike Small shot 7-under 65s to share a one-stroke lead in the first round of the Constellation Senior Players Championship on Thursday. Bart Bryant, Glen Day and 2015 U.S. Senior Open champion Jeff Maggert were one stroke back in the fourth of five majors on the PGA Tour Champions schedule.
GULLANE, Scotland — Phil Mickelson wishes he could take back the moment when he swatted a moving golf ball at the U.S. Open. “But there’s not much I can do about it now other than just try to act a little better,” Mickelson said Thursday.
In his most extensive comments since he purposely violated the Rules of Golf at Shinnecock Hills, Mickelson said whatever backlash he receives from players and the public was his own doing.
Mickelson was out of contention in the third round of the U.S. Open when he chased after a bogey putt on the 13th and hit it back at the hole to keep it rolling off the front of the green. He was assessed a two-shot penalty amid criticism that he should have been disqualified for such a willful violation. In his next tournament, Mickelson tamped down tall grass beyond the tee box at The Greenbrier to play a low iron shot, then immediately realized it might have been a violation. “It’s not been my best month,” he said.