TUCSON, Ariz. – They fought several times in college and each helped their team win an NCAA championship. They sit at No. 2 and 3 on the PGA Tour’s all-time silver list. They both won their first two events on the PGA Tour Champions.
And they’ll see the horns again this week at Tucson National for the Cologuard Classic.
Phil Mickelson of Arizona State and Jim Furyk, who played for Arizona, are expected to play the event for the first time, as they are both eligible after turning 50 last year.
Mickelson will have a chance in history: No golfer has ever won his first three starts on a tour sanctioned by the PGA Tour. For Furyk, going back to his college is a trip down memory lane.
“My first top 10 on the PGA Tour, it was my second event as a rookie. … Played a solid 1 under Sunday, finished seventh. It was a good, confident boost right here at Tucson National. It is a place where I have played and practiced a lot outside of university and as a young professional. It’s a golf course that I haven’t played in probably over 10 years, but it’s a place I know very well and it’s a bit dear to my heart, ”said Furyk. “It’s a good place for me and brings back good memories.”
Tucson also has fond memories for Mickelson. On January 13, 1991, Mickelson won the Northern Telecom Open as an amateur. He remains the last amateur to win a PGA Tour event.
WGC – Match Play de Dell Technologies
Jim Furyk and Phil Mickelson on the first hole during the second round of WGC – Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club. (Photo: Stephen Spillman-USA TODAY Sports)
“I can’t believe it’s been 30 years he’s just been run by,” he said on the course Thursday after his pro-am. “It reminds me a lot of those memories. And Steve Loy and I have been hanging out the last few days – he caddied for me that week, he was my varsity golf coach – as we were talking about all the great things that certainly happened the week here and all. around this week. and that victory and how much fun we had. It is a very special place for me. “
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College wasn’t the first time these two had met on the golf course.
“I remember playing junior golf with Jim and one memory that struck me was it was raining and he had those white cotton gloves on and he had no problem grabbing the club. I thought, wow, I’ve never seen that, ”Mickelson said. “It’s little things like that that we sort of achieve. Jim is one of the better quality guys on the PGA Tour and I really appreciate our friendship over the years.
Furyk got a solid preparation for the PGA Tour Genesis Invitational last week. He opened with a 69 and after making the cut, finished with a 69 to finish T-26 in a stacked peloton that included eight of the top 10 players in the official world golf rankings.
While he can still make cuts on the Tour, Furyk knows his future and quite frankly most of his present is on the senior circuit.
“I play it on the PGA Tour, but I consider my home tour to be the Champions tour,” he said, noting that the competition is real.
“The competition is strong,” he said. “People think on the Champions Tour you’re going to play your 18 holes and then you head to the locker room and sit down for a glass of wine or a beer and tell stories. … I’m telling you, the practice is full of guys who are training. Chipping and putting is full of guys practicing. The guys are still competitive and they’re still hungry and that’s what we all appreciate. We enjoy the competition and maybe I don’t need to hit 320 yards to do that anymore. I take advantage of it. “
As for Mickelson, he admits he’s just not ready to make the Champions tour his full-time tour.
“I didn’t watch the events of the Champions. I will play against the Players and Honda and I will most likely play Valero and Masters, ”he said. “I’ll wait to get involved (Valero) because there are a few things that could change, but it’s kind of my schedule through the Masters. And I really haven’t looked much beyond that and I haven’t really looked at the Champions Tour schedule.
“I want to start playing on the Regular Tour with a little less stress. I’ve been really hard on myself when I make mistakes and have to relax and play a little more free and a little lighter. If I can do that I think I can shoot really good scores there. “
Two days ago on Twitter, Lefty showed off the three copper helmets he won for winning those three Tour events. The Tucson Conquistadors, who run the event and previously led the PGA Tour stop here, continued the helmet tradition at the Cologuard Classic.
Mickelson says he likes to add another one to his collection.
“I have three who want a fourth, they want a nice even number. They want a quartet. They don’t like going out with three, they’re always looking for a fourth, so that would be a good choice. “
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