By Art Spander
Special to Newsday
PINEHURST, N.C. — He's been the star in residence at this U.S. Open.
So much has been written about Phil Mickelson returning to Pinehurst where 15 years ago he was beaten by a shot by Payne Stewart.
Copyright © 2014 Newsday. All rights reserved.
By Art Spander
Featured Columnist
PINEHURST, N.C. — Golf is a funny sport. In baseball, nobody takes away your runs. Football doesn’t delete touchdowns once they’re on the board. But in golf, you can pick up strokes — or lose them — before you walk out of the locker room.
Before you swing a club for the first time in any round.
Copyright © 2014 Bleacher Report, Inc.
By Art Spander
Featured Columnist
PINEHURST, N.C. — Think of a golf tournament as a mile race. Each round is a lap. You don’t have to lead the first day or first two or three days, but you’d better stay close, better not fall too far off the pace. The key is to stay within striking distance.
On the first day of the 2014 U.S. Open, Phil Mickelson, carrying the largest burden — and drawing the largest crowds — did just that.
Copyright © 2014 Bleacher Report, Inc.
By Art Spander
Featured Columnist
PINEHURST, N.C. — It’s not enjoyable. The U.S. Open, the golfing championship of the United States, was never meant to be.
It was meant to be a challenge, a terror, agony. It was meant to be difficult, very difficult.
Copyright © 2014 Bleacher Report, Inc.
By Art Spander
Featured Columnist
PINEHURST, N.C. — He was wearing green and, on the practice tee, wearing out what seemed like a gross of golf balls. Oh it was hot, 93 degrees, but Rory McIlroy, after what he’s been through of late, the lows, the highs, wasn’t going be deterred by the weather.
Or anything else.
Copyright © 2014 Bleacher Report, Inc.
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