Report: Mickelson had $40M in gambling losses
Federal auditors investigating Phil Mickelson's role in an insider trading scheme found his gambling losses totaled more than $40 million from 2010 to 2014, according to an excerpt from Alan Shipnuck's forthcoming biography.
Shipnuck posted the excerpt on his “Firepit Collective” site Thursday. His unauthorized biography on Mickelson is to be released May 17 during the PGA Championship. Mickelson is the defending champion. He has not said if he will be playing.
Mickelson has been out of public view since the final round of the Saudi International on Feb. 6. A short time later, Shipnuck posted explosive comments from Mickelson on his involvement in Greg Norman's Saudi-backed golf venture.
Mickelson was a relief defendant in 2016 in the insider trading case that sent noted gambler Billy Walters to prison.
Walters since has been released and has said he is writing a book.
In the most recent excerpt on the $40 million in gambling losses, Shipnuck wrote that government auditors investigated Mickelson's finances over four years from 2010 to 2014. The author cited a source with direct access to the documents.
Mickelson's annual income in 2012 — the time of the Dean Foods stock deal that netted Mickelson nearly $1 million in one week — was estimated at about $48 million.
DAY LEADS WELLS FARGO >> Jason Day shot a 7-under 63 to take the first-round lead at the Wells Fargo Championship. Joel Dahmen was a shot back on what could be the best day for scoring at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, with rain, wind and unseasonably cool temperatures in the forecast through Sunday.
Day made five of his eight birdies from inside 10 feet. The Australian took the lead with a chip-in on the par-4 15th hole.
Matthew Wolff, local favorite Denny McCarthy and PGA Tour rookies Aaron Rai, Callum Tarren and Paul Barjon were two shots back. Rory McIlroy, the top-ranked player in the field at No. 7, had an up-and-down 67.
Pro basketball GRIZZLIES' BROOKS SUSPENDED ONE GAME >>
Memphis Grizzlies star Dillon Brooks has been suspended for one game without pay by the NBA for making “unnecessary and excessive contact” that resulted in a fractured elbow for Golden State's Gary Payton II in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Brooks must sit out Saturday's Game 3 with the series
shifting to Chase Center in San Francisco tied at one game apiece.
Payton was injured with 9:08 left in the first quarter when Brooks clobbered him on the head and the guard fell awkwardly on his left arm. Brooks received a Flagrant 2 foul and was ejected. Warriors coach Steve Kerr called it a “dirty” play.
GRIZZLIES CENTER ADAMS CLEARS PROTOCOLS >> Memphis center Steven Adams has cleared the health and safety protocols and should be available for Game 3 of the Grizzlies' Western Conference semifinal with the Warriors on Saturday.
Coach Taylor Jenkins didn't say Adams will play Saturday night in San Francisco. Jenkins said they will make a decision after seeing how Adams handles Friday. The 6-foot11 big man from New Zealand practiced after missing the first round series finale against Minnesota and the first two games against the Warriors.
SIMMONS HAS SUCCESSFUL BACK SURGERY >> Ben Simmons underwent what was determined to be a successful back surgery in Los Angeles. The Brooklyn Nets are hoping that he is fully recovered before the start of training camp this fall.
Simmons will need about three weeks for an “initial recovery period,” the Nets said, before he can start his rehabilitation program. The procedure Simmons had was called a microdiscectomy, in which a small fragment of a herniated disc is removed to relieve pressure on the spinal column.
Training camp will start in late September.
Simmons last played a game on June 20, 2021. He missed this entire season — some with Philadelphia before being traded to the Nets in the move that sent James Harden to the 76ers — for a variety of reasons, including mental health
concerns before the trade and then what were originally called back spasms after the trade.
Pro football
CHARGERS SIGN LB VAN NOY >> The Los Angeles Chargers added another veteran to their defense, signing outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy.
Van Noy will be going into his ninth season. He had 66 tackles for the New England Patriots last season and was second on the team with five sacks. He also returned an interception for a touchdown.
Van Noy was released by the Patriots in March. JERRY JONES RESTING AT HOME AFTER CAR CRASH >> Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was resting at home after he was hospitalized with minor injuries from a car crash Wednesday night, according to multiple sources.
Jones was transported to Parkland Hospital for precautionary reasons. He suffered no major injuries and is doing just fine, a source said.
Dallas police confirmed that two vehicles were involved in the crash, but did not provide additional details.
College athletics
NCAA SEARCHES FOR WAYS TO REIN IN BOOSTERS >> The latest lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill by college sports leaders come as the NCAA tries to rein in booster organizations funding sponsorship deals for athletes for use of their names, images and likenesses.
The commissioners of the Southeastern and Pac-12 conferences were in Washington meeting with lawmakers to discuss the need for federal legislation to help colleges regulate how athletes can be paid for endorsement deals.
Greg Sankey of the SEC and George Kliavkoff of the Pac-12 were scheduled to meet with lawmakers on
both sides of aisle, including Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.). Kliavkoff has previously worked with Cantwell.
The two commissioners were joined by Olympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland. Part of the pitch to lawmakers for giving college sports some antitrust protection is that moving to a more professional model for revenuegenerating sports such as football and men's basketball would lead to fewer collegiate opportunities for Olympic sport athletes.
Coaches and administrators from several college conferences, including the Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12, held spring meetings in Arizona this week and how to bring some uniform standards to NIL compensation was the hottest topic.
Baseball
TWINS' BALDELLI, ARRAEZ, BUNDY TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 >> Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and second baseman Luis Arraez were out for their game at Baltimore after testing positive for COVID-19.
Bench coach Jayce Tingler managed the Twins, who have won 11 of their last 13 games but are coming off a 9-4 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday night.
Tingler managed the San Diego Padres last year.
Tennis
NADAL SAVES 4 MATCH POINTS TO ADVANCE >> Rafael Nadal saved four match points before outlasting David Goffin in three sets to reach the Madrid Open quarterfinals.
Nadal needed more than three hours to win 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (9) in only his second match after an injury layoff.
Nadal's 1,050th career victory came after Andy Murray withdrew from his match against Novak Djokovic because of a stomach illness.