Jon Rahm will be hard-pressed to enjoy a 72nd-hole moment better than the one he had on Sunday to clinch his first PGA Tour win.

The 22-year-old Spaniard sank a 60-foot eagle bid on the final hole at Torrey Pines’ South Course, capping off a final-nine 30 and a closing 65 to notch a three-shot win at the Farmers Insurance Open.

“I never thought it was going to be for eagle from 60 feet, especially at Torrey Pines, but the fact that it went in is just incredible,” Rahm said after the win. “The emotion just overwhelmed me. But man, that was a satisfying feeling.”

Rahm, enveloped by the cheers, had to wait to clinch the title, however, with the final four threesomes in front of him still to finish. However, as many of those players struggled on the tough Torrey South layout, it became clear that their final few holes were played in futility of chasing down the Arizona State product.

“I thought if I could get two more (birdies) coming in, I probably would have the trophy outright,” said Patrick Rodgers, recalling his thinking on the 13th tee. “And by the time I stepped up on 16 tee, I was four behind. I was out of the tournament by then.”

In the end, Charles Howell III and rookie Cheng-Tsung Pan were Rahm’s closest challengers at 10-under 278.

For Rahm, he’s a PGA Tour winner in his 12th start, a win anticipated since he finished tied for second in his pro debut at last year’s Quicken Loans National. Within four starts, Rahm had secured his PGA Tour status, making his just the eighth player in PGA Tour history to do that right out of college. Now, after becoming the first maiden PGA Tour winner at Torrey Pines since 1991, Rahm is in the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking and heading to the Masters.

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

Would like to thank all who came out Saturday night for our annual Beach Party. It was a huge success. Look forward to doing this again next January. 

You can now  book tee times online a week in advance with our NEW and IMPROVED website , https://golflakeridge.com. Take a look at all the upcoming events for the 2017 season in the events Club Calendar. You can even view our menu, order gift certificate’s from our online shop and keep up-to-date with the latest golfing news with our online news blog. It even links you to our Facebook and Twitter pages.  So please take a few minutes to check it out and add to your favorites list.

Yoga with Allison Welch continues tonight from 7:00 to 8:00 and runs every Monday until Feb 20.  So start the new year off right by getting back in shape both mentally  and physically.  Please contact Allison Welch for more information or sign-up in the pro shop. 

League sign-up sheets have been posted in the pro shop for this year’s upcoming golf season. Leagues fill up fast and with room for a limited amount of teams per league please sign-up early to ensure your spot. Having said that if you played on a league last year your spot is  reserved. New teams will be placed on a waiting list if the league is full. Please sign-up early to better assist us in planning the upcoming 2017 league season. Thanks.         

Valentine’s Day is Tuesday Feb 14 so it’s time to start making plans  for that special  person  in your life. Why not spend that special evening with us. In addition to our normal menu  we  also will be offering a 10oz prime rib dinner that includes choice of potato, veggie and soup or salad for $14.95. There will also be music provided by DJ Tim Dunlap. Please contact us for more information regarding  the menu and to RSVP.

All right poker fans,  we have Texas HoldEm every Tuesday starting promptly at 7:30. Poker players enjoy Happy Hour rates when playing and also have a chance at winning prizes. So if you like playing poker, Tuesday is your night.

Thursday night is Ladies Night. Ladies get Happy Hour rates all night long. Whether it’s Karaoke, Texas HoldEm, left right or center dice game or you just want to have a few drinks with your friends Lake Ridge is the place to be on Thursday nights. 

We have already begun scheduling events for the upcoming 2017 golf season so it’s time to start thinking about planning your event with us to ensure you get the day of your choice. Whether it’s a golf outing, retirement party, birthday party, class reunion or any social event, we look forward to working with you to plan and host your event and make it an enjoyable and memorable experience for all. An up-to-date schedule has been posted on our NEW website, https://golflakeridge.com and has also been posted to our Facebook Page.

And speaking of Facebook, feel free to “like” and follow us on the  Lake Ridge Country Club’s Facebook Page. Keep up-to-date with all the events and daily specials Lake Ridge has to offer.  Please click on the link fb.me/BeaverLakeRidgeGolf. If the link does not work, simply cut and paste the link into your address bar on your web browser. Please feel free to rate us and give us any feedback that would allow us to better serve you.  

We have now entered our winter schedule. Although the golf course remains open, please call in advance to book a tee time. We will open to accommodate any golfers, weather permitting, but no golfers will be allowed to play with frost on the greens. As usual Caddies  Lounge opens every day at 4:00 and Fairways Restaurant is open from 5:00 to 9:00 seven days a week.

FAIRWAYS RESTAURANT 

Open for dinner from 5 – 9 seven days a week…….  Whether you want to dine in the restaurant, Caddies Lounge or out on the deck, we are committed to providing quality food at a great price in a very comfortable setting. In a hurry or don’t feel like cooking, call us in advance for takeout orders.

Like breakfast? The Dormant Club meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:30 for breakfast in Fairways Restaurant. This is open to the public so why not treat yourself to a nice breakfast and get your day started off right. What a great way to start your day, sitting on the deck and enjoying the view of the golf course. 

HAPPY HOUR MONDAY – FRIDAY FROM 4 TO 6

MONDAY – .50 CENT ELEPHANT WINGS (JUMBO DRUMSTICKS)

TUESDAY – TACOS TACOS TACOS  

WEDNESDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE 

THURSDAY –  CHICKEN QUESADILLAS  

FRIDAY – STEAK AND SHRIMP 

SATURDAY –  RACKS OF BBQ RIBS 

SUNDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE

Sundays are Members Appreciation night. All members get 20% off their food order. So come on out and take advantage of your membership for some great food at a great price. 

Darts anyone? Come on up and enjoy a few beers, play some darts in Caddy’s Shack and listen to some of your favorite songs on the Jukebox. And for all you music fans, download  the AMI Jukebox app to your phone and play the jukebox from your phone. Just do a search for AMI Jukebox under your APPS store and download the app. Once you have downloaded the app, select Caddy’s Lounge as your location. It’s quick and easy to setup.

We have Karaoke every Friday and Saturday starting at 9:00. However, if you ever want to practice your skills, once the kitchen closes, we can fire up the Karaoke and let the singing begin.

 

Todd Berry

Director of Golf

Lake Ridge Golf Course

Phone: 402-235-4653

lakeridgegolf@spiralfiber.com

For Tiger Woods, Torrey Pines used to be a place that solely defined some of his greatest moments. However, the more recent chapters of Woods’ story at the San Diego courses are ones of disappointment and embarrassment.

Woods missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open on Friday, shooting a second round of even-par 72 on the easier, and recently renovated, North Course. His 4-over two-round total, however, will have him miss a cut on the PGA Tour for just the 16th time in his career.

“It’s frustrating not to be able to have the chance to win the tournament,” Woods said. “Overall, today was a lot better than yesterday. I hit it better, I putted well again, I hit a lot of good putts that didn’t go in, but I hit it much better today. … I made a couple little tweaks and changes in my setup, which was good.”

Woods was better, finding 10 of 14 fairways after struggling to hit just four in the opening round on the bunker-lined South Course. However, Woods also admitted the ring rust of having not played competitive golf since August 2015 led to some strategic mistakes that could have been prevented.

“Playing tournament golf is a little bit different than playing at home in a cart,” Woods said of his pre-tournament preparation in Florida. “I need to get more rounds under my belt.”

This week marked Woods’ return to the PGA Tour after a pair of back surgeries following a mind-bogglingly poor 2015 for the 14-time major winner, including withdrawing from this tournament with an injury that introduced the term “glute activation” to the public. Torrey Pines is also site of Woods’ finest hour, winning his 14th and, to date, final major championship on one leg, beating Rocco Mediate in a 19-hole playoff for the 2008 U.S. Open.

The good memories at Torrey Pines were little help on Thursday, when Woods shot a 4-over 76 which forced him to go low Friday to make the cut. After opening his second round with a birdie on the par-5 10th, Woods was unable to build momentum, making one more birdie, two bogeys and the rest pars.

That left him four strokes back of the cutline of even-par 144, with a crowded weekend field slated for the final two rounds on Torrey Pines’ South Course. It’s not consolation for Woods, but his playing partners for the first two rounds, world No. 1 Jason Day (+3) and defending U.S. Open champ and the third-ranked player in the world Dustin Johnson (+2), also missed the cut.

If there is any solace for Woods, it’s that his back held up, he showed flashes of brilliance with the short game amid frustrating driver play and some uncharacteristic hiccups.

Woods will be back at it next week at the Dubai Desert Classic in the United Arab Emirates, then will take a week off before returning stateside to compete in the Genesis Open in Los Angeles, a tournament he will be hosting, before competing in the Honda Classic near his Florida home in Jupiter.

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

With the golf season just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about improving your golf game.  So why not give GolfTEC a try.

GolfTEC, has a  state-of-the-art Improvement Center, and you’ll find all the tools you need to help you improve your golf game.

Their Certified Personal Coaches have years of instructional experience and they all use the latest golf technology to help players of any age or skill level reach their goals. Whether you’re looking to win your club championship, or you’re just getting started with the game, golf lessons with GolfTEC are the perfect solution for you.

Talk to one of their Certified Personal Coaches by calling the phone number  402-905-2990.

  • James Kinney
    Center Manager, Franchise Owner, Director of Instruction

    jkinney@golftec.comPGA Status: PGA MemberHometown: Omaha, NE2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 NEBRASKA PGA TEACHER of THE YEAR

  • Jamie Stogdill
    Certified Personal Coach

    jstogdill@golftec.comHometown: Omaha, NETop 100 Club Fitter- Golf Digest. Certified Personal Coach at GolfTEC Omaha for 7 years. Taught over 13,000 lessons. Outstanding Achievement Award in Coaching – 2010,11,12,13 and 15.

    Ryan Norman
    Certified Personal Coach

    rnorman@golftec.comPGA Status: PGA MemberHometown: Council Bluffs, IANominated for Nebraska PGA Teacher of the Year 2011, 2012, and 2013. Coach of the Nebraska Class A Girls State Champion 2014, 2015. Numerous High School Students gone on to play in College/University. Member of the Nebraska PGA Cup Team 2013, 2015. PGA Professional National Championship Qualifier 2015.

  • Brett Hahn
    Certified Personal Coach

    bhahn@golftec.comHometown: Nebraska City, NEGolf Professional for 11 years with 4 years experience as Head Women’s Golf Coach at Peru State College. Nominated for GolfTEC Rookie Coach of the Year in 2016.

    Jack Kaupa
    Certified Personal Coach

    jkaupa@golftec.comPGA Status: PGA MemberHometown: Eagan, MNGraduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln PGA Golf Management program. Previous work experience includes Muirfield Village Golf Club, the Sea Island Golf Performance Center and Pinehurst Resort and Country Club.

  • Graham Willer
    Certified Personal Coach

    gwiller@golftec.comPGA Status: ApprenticeHometown: Omaha, Nebraska

They are located at 362 North 114th Street Ste 362 Omaha, NE 68154

Center Hours:

M 7:00 – 8:00 | T 7:00 – 8:00 | W 7:00 – 8:00 | T 7:00 – 8:00 | F 8:00 – 6:00 | Sa 8:00 – 4:00 | Su 8:00 – 4:00

Rory McIlroy isn’t playing in next week’s Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour, missing the second leg of what is typically an early season United Arab Emirates double for the Ulsterman.

He’s sidelined with a rib injury that almost forced him out of the South African Open and led to him withdrawing from the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and Dubai. When he first announced the true nature of the injury, he left the timetable for his return undefined. However, McIlroy now has a target date to return.

Speaking to Fox Sports’ Shane Bacon on the Clubhouse podcast, McIlroy said he’s looking to come back in March at the WGC-Mexico Championship.

“I’m trying to get back for Mexico,” said McIlroy. “That’s my timetable for return. I could probably get back before that. For example, if I were to play Honda [the Honda Classic at the end of February] and then go straight to Mexico, I would be playing two weeks in a row.

“I’d like to ease my way back in gently. Mexico is the perfect time to return because it’s four rounds, there’s no cut. I can see how everything feels. I have a week off after that. All signs pointed towards Mexico being the one I could come back to and be 100 percent comfortable at. Hopefully it works out that way, and that’s when I’m back.”

The WGC-Mexico Championship, which essentially replaces the WGC-Cadillac Championship formerly held at Trump Doral near Miami, starts March 2 and is a no-cut event.

From there, McIlroy could look at another start before the Masters in the Florida Swing or in Texas. Were McIlroy to win a fifth major at Augusta National, he would complete the career Grand Slam.

 Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Tiger Woods is trying to avoid something he has never done in all his years playing at Torrey Pines.

He has never left the tournament on a Friday.

Woods bailed out on Thursday the last time he played the Farmers Insurance Open in 2015 when he stopped after 11 holes because of tightness in his back. The year before that, he was forced out on a Saturday when he missed the 54-hole cut.

He has won six times on a Sunday, twice on a Monday.

In his return to the PGA Tour after a 17-month layoff to heal from two back surgeries, the objective now is simply to make the cut. Woods didn’t make it easy on himself when he played a six-hole stretch in 6-over par on the back nine of the opening round Thursday and shot a 4-over 76.

He goes into the second round five shots outside the cut line.

If he’s sent packing on Friday, it will be the eighth time in his last 15 starts against a full field that Woods failed to make the cut. This from a guy who once went seven years without missing a cut.

Was it a surprise?

Not really, because not even Woods knew what to expect after having been gone from the tour for so long. More than his fighting his swing — it took him nine holes before he hit what could be considered a good short iron into the green — it was getting used to tournament golf.

That could be expected.

“So much is different,” he said. “Playing in slower conditions. It’s much softer than what we have at home. It’s much cooler than what we have at home. It’s just different. I’m trying to get used to a little bit of this, and I was fighting throughout the day, and I just didn’t quite get it done after the middle part of that back nine.”

And that’s where it all fell apart.

He made his first birdie in 523 days — a number skewed by the fact it had been 523 days since his last PGA Tour appearance — on the 10th hole when he hit a wedge from the first cut of rough into 10 feet. He followed that with a tee shot into 10 feet for another birdie. That put him at 1 under.

“And it went the other way,” he said.

It was a little bit of everything, and it all happened so fast, even in the midst of what Woods referred to as a lot of waiting around.

No. 12: A bad tee shot to the right landed in rough so wet and thick that he used a fairway metal to chop down and gouge out the shot. He advanced it only 120 yards, still in the rough, hacked the next one out to 15 feet and missed the par putt.

No. 13: A tee shot into the rough, and an iron that stayed in the rough, so deep that Woods had to lift the ball to identify it. He did extremely well to hammer that out with a wedge onto the green some 50 feet away. Instead of getting out of there with par, he left his first putt 10 feet short and three-putted for bogey.

No. 14: A 3-wood off the tee that found the left rough and kept him from reaching the green. His pitch from short grass in front of the green came up 18 feet short, and the par putt spun out of the lip.

No. 15: A snap-hook over the gallery and down into a ravine. Woods started to go down to look for it until he realized even if he found it, he would have no shot. So he took a penalty drop, hooked an iron through the trees into more rough, hit wedge to 25 feet and two-putted for double bogey.

No. 17: His 3-wood drifted just enough to the right to find more deep rough. He gouged another fairway metal out into the front bunker, blasted out nicely to 6 feet and missed the par putt.

At least he made a birdie on the 18th which brought out a smile, perhaps because a long, tough day was finally over.

“I was fighting out there all day,” Woods said. “Didn’t really hit it that good. Greens were a little tough out there with some of the putts and I had a round which I let slip away in the middle part of the back nine and unfortunately didn’t hit very good shots.”

It might have been worse had he not made four tough par saves on the front nine, and if Jason Day and Dustin Johnson played better. Johnson birdied the 18th for a 72. Day missed four putts from the 4-foot range and shot 73.

Day pleaded to be patient with Woods.

“Having 17 months off is a very, very long time,” Day said. “I think everyone was kind of anticipating what the comeback would look like. But once again, I said it over the last couple days, we can’t just break down everything he did today because it’s been 17 months. Let him go a year, let him play and go from there. … We can’t panic too much at the start of the year.”

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — After missing all four major tournaments in 2016, on Monday Tiger Woods kind of, sort of committed to playing the 2017 Masters.

“Yes, I’m hoping I get everything right,” he said. “So, yes, I’m looking forward to it.”

So far, Woods has formally announced a four-tournament schedule in his return from a back injury that kept him out of tournament play for some 16 months.

When asked Monday at Riviera Country Club, where next month he’ll host the Genesis Open, at what point he’ll start thinking about Augusta, Woods didn’t mince any words.

“Now,” he responded without hesitation. “I’ve been thinking about it.

“Once the season ends, typically, in the fall I start thinking about what I need to do for Augusta. I’ve done that for 20 years.”

Of course, this is all contingent on his back holding up after two surgeries and a year-plus-long layoff from tournament golf. Woods will tee it up this weekend in San Diego, then three times in February – in Dubai, Los Angeles and Palm Beach, Fla.

It will be the most tournament golf he’s played since August 2015.

“That is a concern, no doubt about it, but I’m also looking forward to it,” he acknowledged. “I’ve sat out long enough here. Got my body in a pretty good state where I feel I can handle that workload. But I still gotta go out there and do it.

“… Feeling good about it and doing it is two totally different things.”

While he dusted off the cobwebs in his “official” return to tournament play in December, when he tied for 15th in a 17-player field at the Hero World Challenge, that event is more a high-stakes exhibition then an actual tournament.

Thursday the real test begins when he tees off at Torrey Pines, a course where he’s won eight times, including the last of his 14 major title victories.

In the run-up to his return, Woods said he has played about four to five times a week. That preparation, while not exactly tournament play, has been crucial.

“If my back feels good, I know I can prepare, I know I can play. I know how to shoot scores,” he said. “But I need to have my health in a state where I can prepare to get my game ready to play at an elite level.”

If all goes well – if that back holds up – he’ll be at Augusta in April.

“I’d love to play [the Masters],” he said. “I’d love to win. I’ve won it four times. Hopefully I can add a fifth.”

Jay Hart

Yahoo Sports
Yahoo Sports US January 23, 2017

Would like to thank Jody Hellbusch for choosing Lake Ridge to host her mothers surprise birthday bash on Saturday night. It was a great fun filled evening and her mother, Pam Harris, was very surprised. Would also like to thank all who came out to celebrate Pam’s birthday.

You can now  book tee times online a week in advance with our NEW and IMPROVED website , https://golflakeridge.com. Take a look at all the upcoming events for the 2017 season in the events Club Calendar. You can even view our menu, order gift certificate’s from our online shop and keep up-to-date with the latest golfing news with our online news blog. It even links you to our Facebook and Twitter pages.  So please take a few minutes to check it out and add to your favorites list.

Yoga with Allison Welch continues tonight from 7:00 to 8:00 and runs every Monday until Feb 20.  So start the new year off right by getting back in shape both mentally  and physically.  Please contact Allison Welch for more information or sign-up in the pro shop.

League sign-up sheets have been posted in the pro shop for this year’s upcoming golf season. Leagues fill up fast and with room for a limited amount of teams per league please sign-up early to ensure your spot. Having said that if you played on a league last year your spot is  reserved. New teams will be placed on a waiting list if the league is full. Please sign-up early to better assist us in planning the upcoming 2017 league season. Thanks.

Tired of winter and wish you were at the beach?? Come join us Saturday Jan 28 in Caddies Lounge for our annual Beach Surf Party. Anyone who wears surfing or beach attire will get drink discounts all night long. So screw winter, get out those flip flops and let’s party like it’s summer time. Party starts at 8:00.

Valentine’s Day is Tuesday Feb 14 so it’s time to start making plans  for that special  person  in your life. Why not spend that special evening with us. In addition to our normal menu  we  also will be offering a 10oz prime rib dinner that includes choice of potato, veggie and soup or salad for $14.95. There will also be music provided by DJ Tim Dunlap. Please contact us for more information regarding  the menu and to RSVP.

All right poker fans,  we have Texas HoldEm every Tuesday starting promptly at 7:30. Poker players enjoy Happy Hour rates when playing and also have a chance at winning prizes. So if you like playing poker, Tuesday is your night.

Thursday night is Ladies Night. Ladies get Happy Hour rates all night long. Whether it’s Karaoke, Texas HoldEm, left right or center dice game or you just want to have a few drinks with your friends Lake Ridge is the place to be on Thursday nights.

We have already begun scheduling events for the upcoming 2017 golf season so it’s time to start thinking about planning your event with us to ensure you get the day of your choice. Whether it’s a golf outing, retirement party, birthday party, class reunion or any social event, we look forward to working with you to plan and host your event and make

it an enjoyable and memorable experience for all. An up-to-date schedule has been posted on our NEW website, https://golflakeridge.com and has also been posted to our Facebook Page.

And speaking of Facebook, feel free to “like” and follow us on the  Lake Ridge Country Club’s Facebook Page. Keep up-to-date with all the events and daily specials Lake Ridge has to offer.   Please click on the link fb.me/BeaverLakeRidgeGolf. If the link does not work, simply cut and paste the link into your address bar on your web browser. Please feel free to rate us and give us any feedback that would allow us to better serve you.

We have now entered our winter schedule. Although the golf course remains open, please call in advance to book a tee time. We will open to accommodate any golfers, weather permitting, but no golfers will be allowed to play with frost on the greens. As usual Caddies  Lounge opens every day at 4:00 and Fairways Restaurant is open from 5:00 to 9:00 seven days a week.

                                                FAIRWAYS RESTAURANT 

Open for dinner from 5 – 9 seven days a week…….  Whether you want to dine in the restaurant, Caddies Lounge or out on the deck, we are committed to providing quality food at a great price in a very comfortable setting. In a hurry or don’t feel like cooking, call us in advance for takeout orders.

Like breakfast? The Dormant Club meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 7:30 for breakfast in Fairways Restaurant. This is open to the public so why not treat yourself to a nice breakfast and get your day started off right. What a great way to start your day, sitting on the deck and enjoying the view of the golf course.

HAPPY HOUR MONDAY – FRIDAY FROM 4 TO 6

MONDAY – .50 CENT ELEPHANT WINGS (JUMBO DRUMSTICKS) 

TUESDAY – TACOS TACOS TACOS  

WEDNESDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE 

THURSDAY –  CHICKEN QUESADILLAS  

FRIDAY – STEAK AND SHRIMP 

SATURDAY –  RACKS OF BBQ RIBS 

SUNDAY – CHEF’S CHOICE

Sundays are Members Appreciation night. All members get 20% off their food order. So come on out and take advantage of your membership for some great food at a great price.

Darts anyone? Come on up and enjoy a few beers, play some darts in Caddy’s Shack and listen to some of your favorite songs on the Jukebox. And for all you music fans, download  the AMI Jukebox app to your phone and play the jukebox from your phone. Just do a search for AMI Jukebox under your APPS store and download the app. Once you have downloaded the app, select Caddy’s Lounge as your location. It’s quick and easy to setup.

We have Karaoke every Friday and Saturday starting at 9:00. However, if you ever want to practice your skills, once the kitchen closes, we can fire up the Karaoke and let the singing begin.

  

Todd Berry

Director of Golf

Lake Ridge Golf Course

Phone: 402-235-4653

lakeridgegolf@spiralfiber.com

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) — Phil Mickelson hit his opening tee shot so poorly in morning rain and cold that he hit a provisional ball just to get in another swing.

He scrambled to par the hole and went on to shoot a 4-under 68 on Thursday in the CareerBuilder Challenge, leaving him four strokes back in his return from two sports hernia surgeries.

”I struck it horrible, but I scored out of my mind,” Mickelson said. ”So, I’m very happy with it. My first round of golf was Saturday and I’ve been able to work out just the last two weeks.”

Lefty hooked his first tee shot into the trees at La Quinta Country Club, then reloaded and hit the provisional into the fairway.

”That next hole, the second hole’s an extremely difficult drive and I wanted to just get another swing,” Mickelson said.

He found the first ball and hammered a shot under the trees to just off the front of the green.

”It was really a great day for me because I scored so much better than I played,” Mickelson said. ”And when I finally did hit some really good shots I ended up close and made a few birdies. And when I hit some really bad shots – and I hit some really bad shots – I was still able to salvage some up-and-downs for pars.”

Tour rookie Dominic Bozzelli shot a 64 on the Stadium Course at PGA West – the most difficult of the three courses – to top the leaderboard. He holed out from 115 yards for eagle on the par-4 14th.

”Been working hard back home, doing all right things on and off the course, and it’s nice to come out and have that hard work pay off,” Bozzelli said.

Jhonattan Vegas, the 2011 champion, was a stroke back at 65 along with Harold Varner III, Hudson Swafford and Patton Kizzire. Vegas and Kizzire played PGA West’s Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course, and Varner and Swafford opened at La Quinta.

Rain fell off and on in the morning and more was expected Friday, with the PGA Tour moving the tee times up an hour.

”Ain’t nobody never comfortable when you’re having to play golf when it’s raining and a little cool like it was,” Boo Weekley said after a 66 on the Stadium Course.

Play started with the temperature in lows 50s and it barely climbed into the 60s in the afternoon. The forecast high Friday was 61.

”The ball didn’t go as far, but you don’t have to hit it that far out here,” Varner said.

The 46-year-old Mickelson had surgery Oct. 19 – three days after tying for eighth in the season-opening Safeway Open – and again Dec. 12.

”I feel fine,” Mickelson said. ”I’ve been able to work out the last two weeks. And again, you start out real slow, but you get back to it, you get it back pretty quick.”

His caddie, Jim ”Bones” Mackay also made a comeback after having both knees replaced.

Mickelson won the 2002 and 2004 events and tied for third last year. The first-year tournament ambassador won the last of his 42 PGA Tour titles in the 2013 British Open.

”There’s no better place to learn and to get better than to come out here on these great golf courses and put it to the test,” Mickelson said. ”You can get away with some mistakes, and I was able to salvage a few pars with up-and-downs, so it doesn’t beat you up too bad. It’s a perfect place to start the year.”

Wearing a jacket with a logo of his leaping celebration in the 2004 Masters, Lefty hit a wedge to 2 feet for birdie on the par-4 fourth and also birdied the par-5 sixth and par-4 eighth. On the par-4 ninth, he made a 45-foot birdie putt after driving left onto the adjacent first hole.

Mickelson had his best par save on the par-4 16th after losing another drive to the left. He hit under the trees into the front left bunker, blasted short into the fringe and holed an 18-foot chip. He bogeyed the par-4 17th after driving into the left bunker, and made an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th.

DIVOTS: The players averaged 71.423 on Stadium Course, 70.327 on the Nicklaus layout, and 70.154 at La Quinta. … Bill Haas, the 2010 and 2015 winner, played alongside Mickelson, and matched him at 68. … Patrick Reed, the top-ranked player in the field at No. 9, had a 69 at La Quinta. He won in 2014, shooting 63-63-63-71 to break the PGA Tour record for relation to par for the first 54 holes at 27 under and become the first player in tour history to open with three rounds of 63 or better. … Defending champion Jason Dufner shot a 70 at La Quinta.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Golf has come a long way since Tiger Woods changed the nature of the sport following his maiden major triumph 20 years ago – courses are longer, players are fitter and equipment is advancing as quickly as technology will allow.

Fans, however, are divided on what they want to see at the big events with the ones that love nothing more than an endless stream of birdies opposed by those who delight when the top players struggle to break par in semi-hurricane conditions.

When Woods won the 1997 U.S. Masters with a staggering 18-under total it appeared no course could withstand the best in the game. Yet 10 years later, Zach Johnson claimed the same event at Augusta in freezing conditions with a one-over tally.

Players admit that while the weather is one of the major factors in determining the outcome of a tournament, courses do not have to be outrageously long to offer up any sort of resistance to the current crop of top professionals.

“What’s interesting is that if a course is short and firm, it will play tougher than a long and wet one,” Australian world number seven Adam Scott told reporters ahead of the Singapore Open on Wednesday.

“So it seems the golf clubs, tournaments and the set-up committees are struggling to find a balance for us because the separation between a professional and a regular golfer is greater than ever and we play completely different games now.

“To have a course long enough for us is almost impossible yet everyone wants a course that can challenge a pro. But if they are short and firm, like Hilton Head for example, shooting under par is a good score.”

BEAT THE PRO

Scott admitted that while scores on links courses exposed to the elements were as fickle as the winds that blew across them, conditions at some of the major tournaments in the United States had become a little too extreme.

“For them to be set up where five-over is a winning score is almost so unplayable that if you are not playing five-over and winning, I think its getting away from golf in my opinion,” the 36-year-old 2013 Masters champion added.

“We are losing balls at U.S. Opens five yards away from the green in some of the grass but I guess its a testament to how good the players are now, how good you have to be and how difficult they have to set a course up to ‘beat the pro’.

Fellow major winner Ernie Els said he preferred a tougher course set-up while adding that leading professionals had become so skilful that the kind of dominance Woods enjoyed for more than decade would be almost impossible to emulate.

“When I was in my prime, I always wanted to play at venues where it was really quite difficult as I felt I had a better chance,” the South African said.

“Nowadays, to separate yourself from the rest you have to really do something special and that will become more difficult to do. But if the weather plays along at this year’s major championships, you could see scores of around par again.”

By John O’Brien (Editing by Pritha Sarkar)