Colonial newcomers, past champ Mickelson set sights on Spieth

It is difficult to round a corner at this week’s Dean & DeLuca Invitational without spotting an image of Jordan Spieth, the tournament’s defending champion.

He’s featured on banners in the neighborhood near the course and on signage throughout Colonial Country Club. Based on past performances, which show the Dallas resident has finished 14th or better in all four of his career starts at Fort Worth’s annual PGA Tour event, he’ll likely find himself on leader boards once again at “Hogan’s Alley.”

Spieth, after all, owns the lowest career scoring average of any competitor in Colonial tournament history (67.31).

But he projects to be pushed for this year’s title by a collection of intriguing newcomers and recent returnees to the event. The list includes PGA Tour rookie Jon Rahm, who ranks fourth among tour competitors in season earnings ($3,976,615), and Phil Mickelson, a two-time Colonial champ who is returning for the first time since 2010.

It also includes Billy Horschel, a first-time Colonial competitor who is coming off Sunday’s victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson, and European standout Graeme McDowell, a four-time Ryder Cup participant and 2010 U.S. Open champion making his Colonial debut.

This begs the question: How important is experience at this course in regard to securing a plaid jacket Sunday afternoon? Zach Johnson, a two-time winner in Fort Worth, considers local knowledge significant … but only to a point.

“I think there are other courses we play where that comes into effect more,” Johnson said before Wednesday’s Colonial Pro-Am round. “With this one, what you see is what you get. That’s a distinct compliment.

“It’s not contrived or manipulated. You can hit driver on a lot of holes. You can hit a 4-iron. It gives you options but you have to hit it good.”

A perceived inability to lean on his driver led Mickelson to drop Colonial from his schedule following a missed cut in 2010, his last appearance in Fort Worth. A year later, Mickelson criticized tweaks to the Colonial layout made by golf architect Keith Foster following his 2008 title, saying the changes neutralized his advantage as a long hitter.

Mickelson, 46, returned Wednesday as a golfer who ranks 65th among tour competitors in driving distance (293.8-yard average). Back in 2009, he averaged more than 300 yards off the tee and stood 13th in driving distance. Apparently, Father Time has changed some of Mickelson’s views about whether Colonial’s current configuration impacts his power game.

Asked if the course fits his game better today, Mickelson said: “It’s hard to say. I think if you’re playing well, you can play just about any golf course. You can’t overpower Colonial … but you can be rewarded. My favorite thing about this course is that very rarely is a well-struck shot penalized.”

Mickelson, who won Colonial titles in 2008 and 2000, said “nothing real specific” caused him to return this year. He also conceded that he faces a bit of a learning curve this week.

“I haven’t played here in a while, so I still remember the course prior to it going under some renovation,” Mickelson said, adding that “little nuances” caught him off-guard in his pro-am round. “But it’s in great shape. It’s nice to be back.”

Rahm, winner of the past two Ben Hogan Awards given to the nation’s top college golfer (2015, 2016) during tournament week in Fort Worth, has yet to play a competitive round at Colonial. But the venue oozes with good vibes and the layout offers plenty of left-to-right tee shots that suit his game.

“That fits my eye. I like hitting fades. I’m comfortable on this course,” Rahm said. “There is a lot of positivity for me surrounding this place. I haven’t had a single bad moment here yet, so it’s all good going forward.”

Horschel, in turn, is brimming with confidence after Sunday’s win in Irving broke a streak of four consecutive missed cuts at PGA Tour events. Horschel said he feels no added pressure in trying to become the first golfer to win both DFW titles in consecutive weeks as a Colonial newcomer.

“I’m just going to go out there and try and enjoy the week like I did last week,” Horschel said. “I have two things I am going to focus on: Nice swing, smooth tempo. Like Ernie Els or Freddie Couples. Those are my mental pictures in my head.”

For Rahm, the No. 12 player in the world golf rankings, the mental picture is clear: another trip to Fort Worth, another item for the trophy case.

“Being able to walk out of here with a trophy twice, even if it’s not the same one we’re competing for this week, I do have that positivity in the back of my head,” Rahm said. “I kind of have the same feeling as if I played great here before and I’ve never played it.”　

7 a.m. — Morgan Hoffmann, Luke List

7:11 — Scott Brown, Patton Kizzire, Ryan Blaum

7:22 — Kevin Streelman, Kyle Stanley, Bud Cauley

7:33 — Ryan Moore, Kevin Kisner, Steve Stricker

7:44 — Jonas Blixt, Scott Piercy, Nick Watney

7:55 — J.J. Henry, Brian Gay, Stewart Cink

8:06 — Emiliano Grillo, Steven Bowditch, Chris Kirk

8:17 — Cameron Smith, Billy Hurley III, Brian Stuard

8:28 — Graham DeLaet, Chris Stroud, Sung Kang

8:39 — Martin Laird, Anirban Lahiri, Michael Kim

8:50 — Keith Clearwater, Xander Schauffele, Beau Hossler

Noon — Bryce Molder, Blayne Barber, Dominic Bozzelli

12:11 p.m. — John Huh, Ricky Barnes, J.J. Spaun

12:22 — Boo Weekley, Ryan Palmer, Kelly Kraft

12:33 — Marc Leishman, Greg Chalmers, James Hahn

12:44 —William McGirt, David Lingmerth, Nick Taylor

12:55 — Billy Horschel, Brandt Snedeker, Paul Casey

1:06 — Jordan Spieth, Pat Perez, Zach Johnson

1:17 — Lucas Glover, Chez Reavie, Daniel Summerhays

1:28 — Camilo Villegas, Scott Stallings, Tyrone Van Aswegen

1:39 — Kevin Tway, Brandon Hagy, Jamie Sadlowski

7 a.m. — Johnson Wagner, C.T. Pan

7:11 — Matt Jones, Derek Fathauer, Ollie Schniederjans

7:22 — David Hearn, Kyle Reifers, Whee Kim

7:33 — Rod Pampling, Fabian Gomez, Bill Haas

7:44 — Graeme McDowell, Danny Lee, Robert Streb

7:55 — Si Woo Kim, Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm

8:06 — Wesley Bryan, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson

8:17 — Brian Harman, Vaughn Taylor, Hunter Mahan

8:28 — Geoff Ogilvy, Michael Thompson, Sean O’Hair

8:39 — Sam Saunders, Martin Piller, Jazz Janewattananond

Noon — Seung-Yul Noh, Tim Herron, Zac Blair

12:11 p.m. — Chad Campbell, Patrick Rodgers, J.T. Poston

12:22 — Angel Cabrera, Cameron Tringale, Jason Kokrak

12:33 — Adam Hadwin, Jhonattan Vegas, Aaron Baddeley

12:44 — Jason Dufner, Davis Love III, Matt Every

12:55 — Mackenzie Hughes, Charley Hoffman, Tony Finau

1:06 — Cody Gribble, Ben Martin, Webb Simpson

1:17 —Jason Bohn, Cameron Percy, Harold Varner III

1:28 — Harris English, Rory Sabbatini, Martin Flores

1:39 — Bryson DeChambeau, Yuta Ikeda, Curtis Luck

Note: Professional’s name listed first with score in parentheses. NC — No Card.

51 — Lucas Glover (67), Greg Beard, Mike Hinson, John Sellers, Blake Carpenter

53 — Jason Dufner (73), Scott Brown, Kevin Johnson, Jeff Newell, Robert Rumble

54 — Brian Stuard (67), John Faulkenberry, Nathan Lawrence, Marc Lyons, Woody Matthews

56 — Charley Hoffman (69), Jamey Bellan, Brent Lewis, Tony Smith, Chris Wade

56 — Jon Rahm (68), Don Cochran, Kevin Faciane, Andre Plaisance, Glenn Smith

56 — Patrick Rogers (68), David Campisi, Victor Bernal, Jeff Kelly, Chad Schuchmann

56 — Phil Mickelson (71), Andrew Ticer, Michael Hudman, Deuki Hong, Daniel Krieger

56 — Ricky Barnes (64), Todd Churchill, Scott Bane, Joe Curtis, Michael Hill

56 — Scott Piercy (68), Kevin Ballard, Mike O’Brien, Brad Roberts, Brook Roberts

57 — Jordan Spieth (65), Robert Doby III, Rob Hood, Philip Mintz, Bill Murray

57 — Kevin Kisner (66), Zac Colbert, Michael Ferguson, Thomas Keel, Kennith McCormick

57 — Ryan Palmer (71), William Stephenson, Mark Jones, Aaron Graff, Whit Perryman

57 — Tony Finau (68), Todd Humble, Matt Johnson, Dale Lewis, Kyle Oudt

58 — David Lingmerth (75), Luke Davis, Michael Padgett, Toby Zelt, Beau Smith

58 — James Hahn (70), Tim Spires, Sonny Aulakh, Carl McAfee, John Korinek

58 — Jason Kokrak (66), John Combs, Cody Wilson, Bobby Baillargeon, David Parker

58 — Jhonatton Vegas (74), Todd Fitzgerald, Daniel Gralapp, Dan Sangali, Anthony Wonderly

58 — Jonas Blixt (70), Patrick Henggeler, Sean Henggeler, Sidney Henggeler, Sloan Henggeler

58 — Matt Kuchar (69), Jamie Dixon, Billy Rosenthal, Thierry Prissert, Jason Harvey

58 — Paul Casey (69), Gabriel Fong, Jon Weinberg, Jeff Needham, Rick Gopffarth

58 — Ryan Moore (65), Davis Hodges, Michael Meyer, Tracy Reep, Byron Vincent

58 — Steve Stricker (67), William Haslam, Tim LeRoy, James McDonald, David Werner

59 — Angel Cabrera (67), Scott Franks, David Burden, Greg Gabbert, Cindy Hulme

59 — Chad Campbell (66), Zach Drennan, Ryan Edgmon, Tim Edgmon, Parker Stovall

59 — Harris English (70), Randy Bailey, Steve Guthrie, Jack Harper, Aron Marquez

59 — J.J. Henry (66), Byran Walsh, Roger Lee, Gary Patterson, Dee Kelly

59 — Vaughn Taylor (69), Ben Allen, Rudy Saucedo, Randy Boyd, Riley Couch

59 — William McGirt (71), James Cook, Donnie Evans, Peter Paulsen, Brock Johnston

59 — Zach Johnson (73), Jae Barclay, Justin Constantine, Steven Winingham, Johnnie Yellock II

60 — Brandt Snedecker (72), Jeff Holzschuh, John Young, Jay Danzi, Peter Handy

60 — Fabian Gomez (69), Rex Kurzius, Jake Salyer, Daris Yates, Scott Clary

60 — Geoff Ogilvy (66), James Barger, Aaron Grieshaber, Carl Emberson, Rick Neuheisel

60 — Graeme McDowell (70), Donnie Walker, Kit Morris, Tripp Davis, Mark Ritzman

60 — Mark Leishman (67), Ron Brooks, Glenn Etherington, Gibby Gibson, Trevor Gruenewald

61 — Aaron Baddeley (68), Bobby Whiteside, Houston Sullivan, Ronald Arrington, Malcolm Tallmon

61 — Ben Martin (70), Dennis Evans, David Fugenschuh, Bales Nelson, Joel Surnow

61 — Bill Haas (70), Lino Escobedo, Jim Randazzo, Chad Kolar, Jonathan Snead

61 — Billy Horschel (69), Roy Bobbitt, Hal Brockett, Dr. Berkley Craig, Doug Duff

61 — Boo Weekley (66), Michael Copeland, Patrick Malouf, Ronnie Pruitt, T odd Tonore

61 — Brian Harman (69), Andrew Reutter, Craig Kessler, Alex Lowe, K.C. Kronback

61 — David Hearn (71), Michael Fox, Bob Reeves, Will Murphy, Jonathon Levy

61 — Davis Love III (68), Ross Ander, Tommy Burt, Jeremiah Donati, Trey Watson

61 — Kevil Streelman (72), Dan Dunkelberg, Karl Joeris, Mike Lohner, Cole Ortowski

61 — Si Woo Kim (68), Masaharu Morimoto, Ben Ford, Matt Lata, Tim Love

61 — Stewart Cink (67), Ron Perlman, Justin Barocas, Matthew Rubin, Todd Goldstein

62 — Chris Kirk (NC), Tom Brennan, Trent Brookshire, Mark Schortman, Bob Sweeney

62 — Daniel Summerhays (72), Jason Blackerby, Chris Drumm, Brent Ford, Chris Harrell

62 — Kyle Reifers (69), Tom Swan, West Soward, John Folmar, Carl Ward

62 — Sean O’Hair (70), Jeehae Lee, Gregory Carlson, Gary Linville, David Matheson

63 — Billy Hurley III (72), Ben Hicks, Buddy Hudgins, Aaron Loose, Dr. Jim Row

65 — Sergio Garcia (70), Craig Glick, Jay Monahan, Bobby Patton, Billy Quinn

67 — Emiliano Grillo (69), Dieter Schmitz, Koranin Kanchanomai, Bayani Lauraya, K. Kajohnphob

This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 5:15 PM with the headline "Colonial newcomers, past champ Mickelson set sights on Spieth."