Phil Mickelson has parted ways with longtime swing coach Butch Harmon, according to Golf.com.
“I’ve learned a great deal from him in our eight years together,” Mickelson said in a statement. “It’s just that at the moment I need to hear new ideas from a different perspective.”
Reeling from a slump from last season, Brandt Snedeker wanted to become relevant in golf again. He wasn’t yet qualified for any of the World Golf Championships, including the Cadillac Championship at Doral in less than a month, or the Masters. He didn’t like missing out and that was a motivating factor for him heading into today’s final round at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
Snedeker overcame a one-shot deficit as he teed off on Sunday and shot a third-consecutive five-under 67, posting a 22-under tournament total — which broke the scoring record he previously held after he won this event in 2013 — to win by three shots over Nick Watney.
Butch Harmon is considered the best golf instructor on the planet, and he coached Tiger Woods during his wonder years in the late 90s and early 2000s. Harmon spoke about Tiger’s round on Friday saying he was upset Tiger didn’t withdraw, and wants him healthy and playing well.
It takes a long time to play 18 holes. Golf has been a slow game for decades — from the amateur game to the pro tours. And it’s no secret that due to the grueling, hardest test of the year, the U.S. Open moves at a sluggish pace. Well, change is coming! (But almost certainly not this week at Merion.)
After its year-long study (slow-playing slow play!), the USGA announced on Wednesday their pace-of-play awareness and public education campaign, which will include a series of new PSAs featuring Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Clint Eastwood, Annika Sorenstam, Paula Creamer and Butch Harmon.
Nick Watney shot rounds of 82-77 at the Memorial Tournament and his swing coach Butch Harmon took notice.
In fact, he tweeted about it (it has since been deleted) in the screen grab above. For posterity, he wrote: “Wow N Watney +15, didn’t see this coming. Must be having some personal problems.”
The First Golfer invited a big-time ringer to join his Sunday game and round out his foursome in Florida. President Obama’s trip was originally planned for him to receive a lesson with Butch Harmon, along with his son Claude Harmon III.
Golf Digest‘s Tim Rosaforte broke the news on Twitter, writing, “The President is arriving at The Floridian range. Awaiting is Tiger Woods and club owner Jim Crane. Historic day in golf. Their first round.”
Putter throw!
Tiger Woods’ current and former swing coaches, Sean Foley and Butch Harmon, respectively, both weighed in with opinions on the 14-time major champ earlier this week. Foley thinks the fish-bowl critiquing of Tiger has gotten out of control. (Hasn’t he always been under more scrutiny than everyone else? It’s part of the gig.) Speaking on the XM Sirius show “Fairways of Life” hosted by Matt Adams, Foley says, back off, my man!
It's all about the pink, baby.
Bubba Watson battled (if you can even call it that) the TPC Blue Monster and brought it to its knees in the second round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship. Watson, who teed off No. 10, fired off five birdies on his first nine for a five-under 31, and backed it up with another five-under 31 on the front side, including an eagle on the par-5 8th, to post a 10-under 62, matching his career low score on Tour.
Joe dumps DJ for Tiger
As if there weren’t enough excitement and surprise in golf on Sunday — while Hunter Mahan and Bill Haas were locked in a duel at the Tour Championship, Butch Harmon revealed on Sky Sports that he had just spoken to his student Dustin Johnson, who told him caddie Joe LaCava decided to leave Johnson for Tiger Woods.
Americans falter at the Open on Sunday
Dustin Johnson was in striking distance once again in the final round of a major championship. Playing in the last group at the British Open with eventual champion Darren Clarke, Johnson survived the daunting tee shot on the par-5 14th and safely reached the fairway. When he pulled his two-iron from the bag, he was two strokes off the lead. It was critical for Johnson to give himself an opportunity for birdie or possibly eagle.
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