ReutersGolf-Englishman Lewis and American English lead Honda Classic
Lewis joined American Harris English one stroke ahead of a large group on a day when Brooks Koepka made a triple-bogey and a double-bogey on his way to a 74 in the demanding conditions at water-lined PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens. Lewis hails from the same Welwyn Garden City
PA Media: SportTiger Woods feeling in form as he returns to Sherwood in build-up to Masters
The 44-year-old is happy with his game as Masters season begins in earnest.
The TelegraphPhil Mickelson could ditch Houston Open in favour of seniors event if fans are permitted
So much for sports stars being desperate to hear the cheers of fans again. Phil Mickelson, the darling of America’s galleries, has indicated that he will not take his traditional route to the Masters if supporters are allowed into the Houston Open and will instead appear in a behind-closed-doors over-50s event. Mickelson has played the last 11 Houston Opens in a row when it has been the event immediately before Augusta and has spoken of his affection for the Texas city. However, Covid-19 concerns seem set to persuade Mickelson to skip the tournament in two weeks’ time in favour of the Champions Tour finale in Phoenix. That will be a huge blow to the Houston organisers and worrying to the Tour hierarchy which is so keen to re-introduce spectators. There are scheduled to be 2,000 daily attendees at Memorial Park, but while Mickelson praised the Tour for its handing of the circuit during the pandemic, his comments came with a big caveat that is in direct contrast to the overwhelming majority of sports professionals who have expressed their desire to strut their stuff in front a crowd again. “For me personally, I don’t like the risk of having that happen the week before the Masters,” Mickelson said. “So it has made me question whether or not I’ll play there. But I have to give the Tour a lot of credit and confidence in the way that they’ve handled the entire year and I’m sure they’re going to do a great job at keeping the players safe in that environment.
