Nicklaus receives his biggest payday
Jack Nicklaus returned from a long layoff following back surgery to take the Champions Skins Game on Saturday, winning 11 straight skins and a career-high $340,000 in a runaway victory over Craig Stadler at Wailea, Hawaii.
Nicklaus, who turned 65 last month and hadn’t played a competitive round of golf for months, rode on the back of a cart for much of the round because of a strained hamstring. He had back surgery on Nov. 23.
Stadler, the 2004 Champions Tour player of the year, was second with five skins and $180,000 in his Skins Game debut. Defending champion Tom Watson earned $80,000 for his two late skins, and Arnold Palmer was blanked for the third time in four years.
Nicklaus, also the 1991 winner, sealed the victory in the made-for-TV tournament by holing a 14-foot birdie putt – his third straight birdie – for $40,000 on the 548-yard No. 15th. On the previous hole, Nicklaus hit a spectacular 6-iron to set up a 4-foot birdie putt for five skins and $170,000.
Mickelson takes four-shot lead at FBR Open
Cheered on by tens of thousands who consider him their hometown hero, Arizona State University grad Phil Mickelson forged a four-shot lead over Kevin Na through three rounds of the FBR Open, a giant party that happens to have a golf tournament going through it.
Mickelson, who tied the course record with a 60 on Friday, shot a 5-under-par 66 – with birdies on the final two holes – for a 14-under 199 total on the 7,216-yard Tournament Players Club course at Scottsdale, Ariz.
He leads going into a final round for the first time since last year’s Masters.
“It was a fun round,” Mickelson said. “I mean, there (are) a lot of people out there. It was pretty interesting. It felt like I shot over par because of yesterday, but it was good enough to get in the lead.”
Na, at 21 the youngest player on the PGA Tour, began the day tied for the lead with Mickelson, and still was even through 14. But his second shot went into the water on the 15th hole, and he missed a short putt to save par.
Four were tied at 9 under – K.J. Choi, Harrison Frazar, Kenny Perry and Steve Flesch.