Golf Tips

AURORA, Colo. (AP) — Aaron Goldberg shot 6-under 65 and took the first round lead in the two-round stroke play qualifying of the 83rd U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship on Monday.

Sitting alone on the stage before a roomful of journalists, the press officer for the R&A taps his fingers on the table, fidgeting like a nervous student waiting for the principal. His unenviable task: hosting the loser’s press conference at the 2007 British Open. Sergio Garcia walks in, head bowed, jaw clenched. In the last few hours, he has lost his three-shot lead, bogeyed the 72nd hole when par would have won the Claret Jug, and fallen to Padraig Harrington in a play-off. He is irritable.

SOUTHPORT, England — Sleep didn’t come easy on those first few nights, when Sergio Garcia’s emotions were still raw, when he would replay the last minutes of the 136th British Open at Carnoustie for hours on end. He remembers walking down the 17th fairway, where he spotted Padraig Harrington walking the wrong way toward him from the 18th hole, and he remembers smiling and saying hello.

Welcome to the British (Wide) Open at Royal Birkdale.

Someone asked me what it’s like to have a major championship knowing that Tiger Woods won’t be around. “Refreshing,” I said. I was kidding, but it is a little strange to go into a pair of majors without the No. 1 player in the world. It’ll be like the Players Championship — we’ll end up with Sergio Garcia having to fend off Paul Goydos.

STATELINE, Nev. (AP) — Rick Rhoden birdied the last two holes Sunday to win a record seventh American Century Celebrity Golf Championship, edging four-time champ Dan Quinn on the shores of Lake Tahoe where they’ve been rivals for 18 years.

Phil Mickelson had a hole-in-one at the Scottish Open on Friday to make the cut and go into the weekend five strokes behind leader Angel Cabrera.

PGA and European Tour player Luke Donald will be forced to miss at least the next three to four weeks, including The Open Championship next week, after suffering a wrist injury during the final round at the U.S. Open last month.

LUSS, Scotland (AP) — Graeme McDowell and Simon Khan shared the Scottish Open lead and Phil Mickelson was six shots back after the third round Saturday.

Tiger Woods is on pace to pass one billion dollars in career earning by 2010

LUSS, Scotland (AP) — Phil Mickelson had a hole-in-one at the Scottish Open on Friday to make the cut and go into the weekend five strokes behind leader Angel Cabrera.