Mickelson improves to 2-for-2 on senior tour
Phil Mickelson likes to play aggressively and found the PGA Tour Champions’ stop at The Country Club of Virginia in Richmond the perfect place to begin his preparations for the Masters.
Bombing drives like he will have to do against the younger set on the PGA Tour, Mickelson shot a 7-under 65 and became the third player— and second this year — to win his first two starts on the tour for players 50 and older. He slammed the door on Mike Weir with a back-nine surge Sunday in the Dominion Energy Charity Classic.
“It’s fun for me to come out here and play well and this is a good start for me as I try to build a little bit of momentum heading to Augusta in about amonth,” Mickelson said.
He finished at 17-under 199, one off the event record set by Miguel Angel Jimenez last year.
Mickelson beat fellow left-hander and second-round leader Weir by three strokes. The fellow rookie closed with a 71 and said he would have contended had he putted better.
The winner in late August at Ozarks National in Missouri in his first start on the tour, Mickelson joined Bruce Fleischer and Jim Furyk as the only players to win in their first two senior events. Fleischer accomplished the feat in 1999 and Furyk did it this year with victories at The Ally Challenge and Pure Insurance Championship.
■ In his 10th season and 233rd tournament, Jason Kokrak finally won a PGA Tour event. Kokrak, 35, shot a final-round 8-under 64 to overcome a three-shot deficit and win the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Xander Schauffele was second, two strokes back. ... Adrian Otaegui of Spain captured his first stroke-play title on the European Tour after shooting 9-under 63 in the final round of the Scottish Championship. Otaegui, whose previous two European Tour titles came in matchplay events, finished four strokes ahead of third-round leader Matt Wallace (71) of England.
College football: Purdue announced that coach Jeff Brohm tested positive for COVID-19. Brohm, 49, is isolating at home. The Boilermakers open the season at home Saturday against Iowa. ... NC State QB Devin
Leary will miss four to eight weeks after undergoing surgery on a broken left fibula.
NFL: LB Devin Bush will need season-ending surgery after suffering a torn ACL during the Steeler’s 38-7 win overthe Browns, ESPN reported. Bush started 15 of 16 games last season as a rookie, recording 109 total tackles with two INTs, four fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and one sack. ... WR C.J. Board was immobilized and carted off the field after taking a hit during the Giants’ 20-19 victory over Washington. Board was taken to a nearby hospital and was diagnosed with a concussion and sprained neck.
Soccer: Virgil van Dijk will be out indefinitely after suffering a knee injury during defending Premier League champ Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Everton on Satuday.
Tennis: Andrey Rublev of Russia joined Novak Djokovic as the only men to win four tour singles titles in the pandemic-shortened season as he beat Borna Coric of Croatia 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the finals of the St. Petersburg Open.