Before Thomas, he had served Phil Mickelson for 25 years and whenever he found the six-time major champion resting, he would go back to NBC and take up his hobby as a reporter. He was also the voice of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Is Bones’ passion the only reason behind him now preparing to work as a lead analyst at the 2024 Mexico Open or there’s more?

Why has Justin Thomas’ caddie been chosen as the lead golf analyst for the 2024 Mexico Open?

The NBC Sports golf analyst, Paul Azinger, left a place vacant for the job after his contract expired. Ever since he departed, the media house has been looking for a replacement but has not yet found a permanent employee. Thus, a lot of different individuals have been taking up the role.

Kevin Kisner was the voice of The Sentry and the Phoenix Open. Paul McGinley was in the Hero World Challenge last year as a commenter and analyst. Then, Curt Byrum was handling the business at Sony Open in Hawaii, and Brandel Chamblee took up the role at American Express. 

Get ready to hear Jim “Bones” Mackay as lead analyst next week for NBC at Mexico Open. Told he’s committed to caddying for JT, who is taking the week off, and NOT throwing his hat in the ring to be permanent replacement for Zinger. Story here: https://t.co/uJTtgygnXC

— Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) February 18, 2024

Thus, Justin Thomas’ caddie, Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay has been chosen for the 2024 Mexico Open. However, the caddie has made it clear that his choice should not be interpreted as his career choice. He loves his caddie job and is devoted to his master. He was alongside the American golfer at the 2022 PGA Championship and also carried his bag at the recently concluded Genesis Invitational where he missed the cut.

At the 2024 Mexico Open, Bones will be an on-course reporter on Thursday and will share the booth with other commentators on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Apart from him, NBC has not disclosed any other name for the job role at Vidanta Vallarta. So, it is still a mystery who will take up the mantle at the Players Championship which the media house will cover as well. 

Also, Justin Thomas, who will not participate in the 2024 Mexico Open, might next appear at the Cognizant Classic. Thus, the caddie-golfer could be next seen at the end of February. 

The post Justin Thomas’ Caddie To Join NBC Sports As Lead Analyst At 2024 Mexico Open appeared first on The SportsRush.

The third signature event of the 2024 season is one of the most historic events on the US-based tour. The tournament which was established as Los Angeles Open in 1926, has a long list of winners. However, this time, six of its victors will not be teeing up at Rivieria thanks to their decision to make a switch to the LIV Golf league.

Let’s look at all the six LIV Golfers who have won the Genesis Invitational trophy in the past.

1) Jon Rahm

Despite going through a tough patch of form with his putter, the Spaniard overcame his weakness and won the trophy on February 19, 2023, Sunday at Rivieria. While all the attention was gathered by returning Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm managed to record a two-stroke victory over Max Homa.

Soon after the event, the Spaniard overtook Scottie Scheffler to take up the top spot for the fifth time in his career in the Official World Golf Rankings.

2) Bubba Watson

The two-time Masters Champion is the most successful LIV Golfer at the Genesis Invitational. He has won the prestigious tournament at Rivieria Golf Course three times in his career.

Bubba Watson came out victorious first time back in 2014 when the tournament was known as the Northern Trust Open. He defeated Dustin Johnson by a margin of two strokes. Later, in 2016, he defeated Jason Kokrak and Adam Scott by one shot to win the tournament second time in his career,

After failing to defend his title in 2017, Watson recorded his third victory at the tournament in 2018 by defeating Kevin Na and Tony Finau. This time, the tournament was renamed as The Genesis Open. He tied with the likes of Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, and Lloyd Mangrum to become the second most successful player at the event.

3) Dustin Johnson

The former World No. 1 won the Genesis Invitational in 2017. Johnson’s victory came between his fellow LIV Golfer Bubba Watson’s second and third title win at Rivieria. After finishing as runner-up twice at the event, Johnson finally beat Scott Brown and Thomas Pieters by five strokes to win this title for the first time in his career.

Dustin Johnson was on his career’s best run as he shot 49 consecutive holes without a bogey. Also, he dethroned Jason Day from the top spot in the OWGR to reach the rank for the first time in his career.

4) Phil Mickelson

There is rarely any prestigious tournament that Phil Mickelson may have not won on the PGA Tour. He has won the Genesis Invitational twice in his career. Interestingly, he was the sixth and the last player till now to defend the title successfully.

Mickelson first won the title in 2008 by defeating Jeff Quinney by a two-shot margin. Later in the following year in 2009, he defeated Steve Stricker by one stroke to retain his title at Rivieria Golf Course.

5) Joaquin Neimann

The Chilean golfer’s first PGA Tour victory came at the Genesis Invitational 2022. Interestingly, he and Jon Rahm have both joined the LIV Golf league just a year after winning the tournament at Rivieria Golf Course.

When he won the tournament in 2022, Joaquin Niemann became the first wire-to-wire champion in its history. He ended all four rounds as the topper of the leaderboard. He defeated Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young by a margin of two strokes.

6) Charles Howell III

The 44-year-old American is the first among all the six LIV Golfers to win the Genesis Invitational. He won the tournament back in 2007 after defeating Phil Mickelson in a playoff match at Rivieria Golf Course. This was his second victory on the PGA Tour and he received a paycheck of $936,000 as prize money.

Although the Saudi-backed league’s players have missed two consecutive editions of the tournament, they might return in the future if the PGA Tour and PIF close a deal together. Fans would surely hope to see some of the previous winners return at the Tiger Woods-hosted event.

The post 6 LIV Golfers Who Have Grabbed The Genesis Invitational Trophy appeared first on The SportsRush.

In a recent Q&A for LIV Golf media guide 2024, Mickelson revealed an astonishing number of aces that he had shot throughout his golf career. He claimed it to be 47! Yes, the LIV golfer has claimed shooting 47 aces throughout the span of his career, which means he is just four short of the King of Aces, Mancil Davis.

Phil Mickelson is yet to shoot an ace in LIV Golf. However, five of the 47 claimed aces have come on the PGA Tour. Well, to clear this, the total number of aces can be counted from any level of golf, even from the practice rounds. Mickelson’s claimed numbers are even more than his foe Tiger Woods, who has shot 20 aces; three of which are on the PGA Tour.

When Did Phil Mickelson Shoot His Five Aces On The PGA Tour?

‘Lefty’s’ arrival on the PGA Tour was due for quite some time after he won the Northern Telecom Open in 1991 as an amateur. Finally, after graduating from ASU, he turned professional and joined the Tour as a full-time member. Although his performance graph was constantly growing, his first ace on the Tour came in 1994.

At the 1994 Kemper Open, Phil Mickelson returned to competitive golf. He shanked his first ace of the PGA Tour career and later ended up tied for third on the leaderboard.

The HyFlyers GC captain’s second and third ace on the PGA Tour came in 1995. At the Shell Houston Open, he shot a sensational hole-in-one, but, missed out on making the cut. Later at the Players Championship, he shot his third ace. He ended up tied for 14th rank on the tournament’s leaderboard.

Phil Mickelson shot his fourth ace after almost six years at the 2001 US Open. He carded 70-69-68-75 in four rounds and ended up tied for seventh in the tournament.

The six-time major champion’s last ace on the PGA Tour came at the 2005 Lumber Classic. He shot a spectacular 200-yard Hole-In-One on the seventh hole of his third round.

The King of Aces, Mancil Davis, had to go through a lie detector test to prove that he shot 51 aces in golf. Well, if Mickelson has shot 47 aces, will he ever go through a lie-detector test to prove his claim?

The post Phil Mickelson And His Outstanding Number Of Lifetime Aces appeared first on The SportsRush.

Flushing It, a popular golf fan media page, shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) that had statements from Surratt and his views on playing alongside some of the top stars in golf. Later, the admin shared his views on the young golfer joining the league. He wrote that the golfer would be helped by Masters champion Rahm and the Ryder Cup star Tyrrell Hatton.

Phil Mickelson later commented on the post and stated that Surratt was an “incredible talent” and that he would grow to play alongside Jon Rahm.

He’s an incredible talent and being around Rahm will speed up his progress exponentially. What a great opportunity and road to success.

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) January 31, 2024

“This Is What Was Best For Me” – Caleb Surratt Explains His Decision To Join LIV Golf

Young talented amateur player Caleb Surratt was recently announced to be part of the LIV Golf 2024 season. His college golf team, the Tennesse Golf team, was the first to congratulate him on joining the cash-rich league. Later, in an interview, he explained why he decided to join the league.

Flushing It shared the statement from Surratt on X. The amateur golfer explained the course of action and how he decided to join LIV. He stated that it happened three weeks back after he played at the finals of the Jones Cup.

“Yeah, it’s obviously been a whirlwind of events. You go from — I went from playing my final Jones Cup, which was my last amateur event, to then spending time with my girlfriend in Florida to then receiving the call that afternoon saying it was official and then driving back to Knoxville, Tennessee, to move out of my dorm room. This was three weeks ago time,” Surratt said.

Caleb Surratt added that it was quite surreal for him to move out of his dorm room and now compete against some of the top players in golf. He added that joining LIV Golf seemed like a big opportunity for him and his career, so he made the move to join them.

“You go from moving out of your dorm room to competing with the best players in the world, and having two of them truly being your daily mentors on the golf course, it seemed like a big opportunity for me and my golf game, and of course everybody is going to be entitled to their opinion, but I have no doubt that this is what was best for me and my golf game and the future of my professional career.”

Caleb Surratt is currently ranked 10th in the World Golf Amateur Rankings. He has climbed as high as sixth in the rankings. The golfer is said to be one of the top amateur players who would have a really amazing professional career. With the likes of Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton in his team, Mickelson’s prediction of him growing exponentially might certainly turn out to be true.

The post ‘Being Around Rahm Will…’: Phil Mickelson Speaks Highly Of Young College Golf Talent Ahead Of LIV Golf Debut appeared first on The SportsRush.

Pebble Beach Golf Links has a length of 7,075  yards and the holes to par is 72. It was established back in 1919 and was designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant. Later, in 2016, Arnold Palmer and Thad Layton re-designed the course. Currently, it is part of the Pebble Beach Company.

Meanwhile, Spyglass Hill Golf Course has a slightly shorter length of 7,026 yards and the par is 72. It was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1966 and is also owned by the same Pebble Beach Company. Phil Mickelson and Luke Donald have a course record of 10 under 62 and they achieved the feat in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

How Much Is The Entry Fee Of AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Host Courses?

The upcoming PGA Tour event host courses are some of the best golf courses for the public. They have a great ambiance and are equally economical. Back in 2003, Pebble Beach Golf Links had a course fee of around $330, however, the current fee to play there is $625. A nominal fee of $55 is charged for a golf cart and $15 for a pull cart. Anyone can take the lavish experience of hiring a caddie at $155 for a single bag and around $210 for double bag. A forecaddie can be hired at $52.5 per three individuals.

The Spyglass Hill Golf Course has a slightly lower fee compared to the other host of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The green fee of the course ranges between $50 and $350 which is subject to occasion. A nominal fee of $45 can be availed to receive a golf cart at the course. As a resort guest, the green fee is quite different and ranges between $395 and $550.

Compared to other PGA Tour event-host golf courses, both the Pebble Beach Golf Links and the Spyglass Hill Golf Course have comparatively lower entry fee for the normal public. So, if the final verdict regarding whether it is worth visiting is considered, it is certainly the best golf course on a budget.

The post Which Course Will Host The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am? Course Fee And Worthiness Explored appeared first on The SportsRush.

 Jim Nantz went on to express his thoughts about Nick Dunlap’s feat. Let’s see what he said!

Jim Nantz Sings Praises About Nick Dunlap’s Latest Achievement

Nick Dunlap surpassed Sam Burns and Justin Thomas to win The American Express as an amateur after Phil Mickelson did it in 1991. This achievement landed him exemptions in all signature events and his PGA Tour card valid until 2026. 

Nantz, in an interview, stated how glorious Dunlap’s achievement was.

“What Nick Dunlap did, we know that it had been done in ‘91 by Phil and in ’85 by [Scott] Verplank, but it felt like a Roger Bannister kind of a moment because the game that has got more depth now. I think you could argue from one to 1,000—and I know he jumped 4,000 in the world ranking points—but there’s so much depth in the game.”

Added to that, he continued,

“There are so many good young players. I think that gives a lot of players the ability to say to themselves, ‘I can break the four-minute mile, too.’ If he can do that, I can do that. So I think it’s a harbinger.”

Moreover, Nantz thinks Dunlap will be an inspiration for other budding golfers, as Dunlap once looked up to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, which resulted in such an accolade. 

Even golf analyst Trevor Immelman said,

“he [Dunlap] was just playing with in the final group and these guys that he’s staring down trying to win for the first time when he’s a sophomore at Alabama. He’s staring some pretty stiff competition and handled himself so well.”

Seeing Dunlap’s execution of the game at such a young age, everybody is high on praises, and this golf star surely has aspirations after getting his PGA Tour card.

The post American Sportscaster Jim Nantz Calls Nick Dunlap’s PGA Tour Win A Roger Bannister Moment appeared first on The SportsRush.

He received this PGA Tour card after coming out victorious at The American Express, and the Alabama sophomore was emotional about his latest feat. He also expressed his feelings about this achievement in an interview. 

Nick Dunlap Gets Emotional At His Latest Feat

Dunlap stated in an interview,

“It was the easiest and hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. It was clear that I did want to play professional golf, and it was a golden opportunity to do that.” 

Alabama Men’s Golfer Nick Dunlap Holds Press Conference
#RollTide | @AlabamaMGolf https://t.co/6OYrG506Xk

— Alabama Athletics (@UA_Athletics) January 25, 2024

Added to that, he continued,

“If you had told me that I had the opportunity to live out my dream as a 20-year-old, it’s pretty surreal. But it’s also scary…I’m gonna continue to live here and hang out with the guys and, and at least live out some of my college life the rest of this year.” 

Moreover, he became the first amateur golfer to win a PGA Tour event after Phil Mickelson‘s triumph in 1991. Mickelson tweeted about Dunlap during The American Express and called him an accomplished young golfer.

“Nick Dunlap has a real shot this weekend to be the next amateur to win a Tour event,” he said. 

Dunlap has received other leverages as a part of the tour. He is exempt from the seven signature events of 2024 and the Players Championship. Apart from golf, Dunlap plans to continue a business degree through an online facility. After the amateur golfer ‘s win, his elated college coach shed a few words. 

“He’s an incredible athlete and he’s been good at every level. At an early age, there was something different about him.” The golfer had an incredible career, making the All-SEC first team, winning the US Amateur and finally winning The American Express. Thus, this golf prodigy will bring more pride as he joins the tour, and there’s so much in store for him in the future.

The post Nick Dunlap Announces His PGA Tour Membership, Will Start Incredible Journey At Pebble Beach appeared first on The SportsRush.

The six-time major champion, Phil Mickelson, took his X (formerly Twitter) handle to share his thoughts on some young golfers who will be phenomenal in the coming decades. Taking a reference from his mentioned names, let’s dig deeper into these five players who have just arrived on the professional golf circuit.

Nick Dunlap has a real shot this weekend to be the next amateur to win a Tour event. This generation of Aberg, Surratt, Sargent, Dunlap, and M.W. Lee are the youngest and most talented group of players I’ve seen and will be a force for decades.

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) January 20, 2024

5) Caleb Surratt

The young American amateur golfer is probably an exciting talent to watch out for in the next few years. Born in Indian Trail, North Carolina, Caleb Surratt is expected to join the LIV Golf League in the 2024 season. As per the reports, he might join Jon Rahm’s new team, the Legion XIII.

The University of Tennessee player has won several amateur titles out of which the notable ones are Terra Cotta Invitational, Junior PGA Championship, and SEC Championship. He was also part of the United States team in the Arnold Palmer Cup and Walker Cup in 2023.

4) Gordon Sargent

The 20-year-old Alabama-born golfer showed a glimpse of his talent when he received the accolades of the low amateur at the 2023 US Open. Although he missed out on winning the US Amateur in 2023, he is still one of the exciting young golfers who could be a force to be reckoned with in the next decade.

Gordon Sargent was part of the United States team at the Arnold Palmer Cup (2022), Eisenhower Trophy (2022 and 2023), and the Walker Cup (2023).

3) Min Woo Lee

The 25-year-old Australian golfer is the brother of two-time women’s major champion Minjee Lee. In his brief time as a pro, he has showcased some sheer talent that might lead him to be one of the top guys in the near future.

Min Woo Lee has recorded four professional victories in his career so far. Out of which three title wins have come on the DP World Tour. He is now a full-time member of the PGA Tour and will look to claim his first title on the Northern American golf circuit as well.

2) Nick Dunlap

The youngest amateur golfer since 1915 to win a PGA Tour title, Nick Dunlap, has already recorded his name in golden letters. His victory at The American Express is currently the most talked about topic in the entire golfing fraternity.

However, the 20-year-old had been consistent in the game of golf since his early junior days. After Tiger Woods, he is only the second amateur to achieve the feat of winning the US Junior Amateur and US Amateur.

1) Ludvig Aberg

The 24-year-old Swedish golfer was part of the winning European Ryder Cup team in Rome last year. He returned with an overall record of 2-2-0 and earned two valuable points for his team. Earlier, as an amateur, he stayed on the top of the World Amateur  Golf Rankings for 29 weeks. He has also received the prestigious Ben Hogan Award for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023

Ludvig Aberg has in knocking on the doors of professional golf for quite some time now. He has already recorded his maiden victories on both the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour. The 2023 Swedish Golfer of The Year will look to capitalize on his talents and skillset and be a force in the coming decade.

The list has the top five young golfers who could dominate the game of golf in the coming decade as per Mickelson’s thoughts. There are a few more young players such as Sam Bennett, Nicolai Hojgaard, Alex Fitzpatrick, and Rasmus Hojgaard who will certainly climb to the top sometime or the other in future.

The post Five Young Golfers Who Will Be A Force In Professional Golf Circuit In The Next Decade appeared first on The SportsRush.

But, it is quite an interesting fact that the most player to have the most success at the Farmers Insurance Open is legendary golfer Tiger Woods. He has won the tournament seven times in his career, with his first victory coming back in 1999. His other victories came in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2013.

Apart from Tiger Woods, only eight players have won the Farmers Insurance Open more than once in their career. There names and winning years are mentioned below.

• Phil Mickelson – Three times (1993, 2000, and 2001)
• Tommy Bolt – Two times (1953 and 1955)
• Arnold Palmer – Two times (1957 and 1961)
• J. C. Snead – Two times (1975 and 1976)
• Tom Watson – Two times (1977 and 1980)
• Steve Pate – Two times (1988 and 1992)
• Brandt Snedeker – Two times (2012 and 2016)
• Jason Day – Two times (2015 and 2018)

While most of the golfers in the aforementioned list have won twice, only the arch-rivals Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have won the Farmers Insurance Open three or more times in their career.

Exploring Other Records And Farmers Insurance Open Facts

The inaugural edition of this PGA Tour event was played back in 1952. It was then known as the San Diego Open. The initial few editions of the tournament were hosted at the San Diego Country Club, Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club, Mission Valley Country Club, Singing Hills Country Club, and Rancho Bernardo Country Club.

Later in 1968, a rebranded Farmers Insurance Open then known as the Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational started to be held at the Torrey Pines Golf Course. Since then the tournament has been played at the same venue on two different courses – the North course and the South course.

Gene Littler was the only golfer to have won the tournament as an amateur. He won the PGA Tour-hosted event back in 1954 by defeating Dutch Harrison by a margin of four strokes. After turning professional, he ended three times as a runner-up in the event in 1969, 1974, and 1978.

At the present home of the Farmers Insurance Open, the Torrey Pines Golf Course, Mark Brooks and Brandt Snedeker hold the record for lowest round score in the North course. They achieved this feat in 1990 and 2007, respectively. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods holds the record for the lowest round score at the South Course. He shot a round of 62 in 1999.

Back in 1982, Johnny Miller defeated Jack Nicklaus by one stroke to win the tournament. It was one of the most memorable moments in the history of the tournament.

Late heavyweight boxer Joe Louis was invited as a sponsor’s exemption to play the tournament back in 1952. He became the first ever African-American player to compete on the Northern America-based golf circuit.

Only J. C. Snead and Phil Mickelson have defended the title of this PGA Tour event. They did so in 1975-76 and 2000-01, respectively. Now, if Max Homa defends his title at the Farmers Insurance Open 2024, he will be enlisted in this unique list.

The post Who Has Won The Farmers Insurance Open The Most Times? appeared first on The SportsRush.

He was born on December 23, 2003, in Huntsville, Alabama to American couple Charlene and Jim Dunlap. His early golf career started at Greystone Golf & Country Club where he portrayed some sheer talent. Back when he was merely 12, he shot a sensational round of 59 in a junior tournament at Highland Park Golf Course and later won that event by a huge 13 strokes.

Exploring Nick Dunlap’s Career Progression So Far

The Hunstville-born golfer’s notable early success came when he won the Alabama State Junior Championship in 2018. Later in 2020, he went on to finish as a runner-up at the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship. In the following year 2021, he missed out on winning the Boy’s Junior PGA Championship and the Junior Players Championship, and ended as a runner-up again.

However, the year 2021 was really special for Nick Dunlap. He won the Dustin Johnson World Junior and the AJGA Polo Golf Junior Classic. In the same year, he became the first-ever Alabama native to win the US Junior Amateur. This win earned him a direct entry at the US Open 2022.

In 2022, Dunlap joined the University of Alabama and became a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide golf team. He is currently a sophomore and is pursuing a degree in finance. In his collegiate career, he won the Linger Longer Invitational, the Northeast Amateur, and the North and South Amateur in 2023.

Nick Dunlap achieved a special feat after winning the US Amateur in 2023. He became the second golfer ever after golf legend Tiger Woods to win both the US Junior Amateur and the US Amateur. His victory earned him an invite to the US Open 2023. The 20-year-old amateur golfer was also part of both winning United States Walker Cup and Eisenhower Trophy teams.

Dunlap has made two major appearances so far – at the US Open in 2022 and 2023. In both instances, he missed the cut.

In January 2024 at The American Express, Dunlap tied Patrick Cantlay’s lowest score in a round of any PGA Tour event as an amateur. He later went on to win the tournament and became the first amateur golfer in 33 years to win on the Tour.

With the kind of talent Nick Dunlap has, he is quite certain to be a top star soon on the PGA Tour. It would be interesting to see how he holds himself after getting so much love and attention from fans after his maiden win!

The post Who Is American Express Champion Nick Dunlap? Exploring His Early Life And Career So Far appeared first on The SportsRush.