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Feb 1 '19
TROON, Scotland -- As Phil Mickelson struts around Royal Troon, positioning himself to make a run at a sixth major championship, theres no doubt he remains the Peoples Champion. A.J. Bouye Jersey .Go get `em, Phil! they scream at every hole of the British Open. We love you, Phil!One group, crowded onto a rooftop alongside the 17th green, unveiled a sign inviting him to stop by for a serving of Scottish pancakes. No word if he took them up on the offer, but knowing Lefty, its not out of the question.Yet, theres another side to this warm-and-fuzzy story, and its worth remembering as Mickelson takes aim at his second British Open title.For all the good hes done inside and outside the ropes, this is the same guy who buddied up with a big-time gambler, supposedly got in hock to him for a lot of money, and took part in a shady stock deal that brought a nearly $1 million payoff in a matter of days.Outside of a few embarrassing headlines when the matter came to light nearly two months ago and having to pay back his ill-gotten gain, Mickelson went largely unpunished for his highly questionable dealings as far as anyone can tell.The feds didnt have enough evidence to charge him with a crime. His sponsors stuck with him. And the PGA Tour, from all indications, quietly let the matter fade away without so much as a slap on a wrist.Somehow, that doesnt seem right.At the very least, Mickelsons dealings with Las Vegas gambler Billy Walters were worthy of some sort of sanction from those in charge of the game, which values honesty and integrity so highly that players are expected to call infractions on themselves.Now, theres no evidence of Mickelson betting on golf -- outside of the harmless practice-round wagering he does with his buddies -- but its long been known that Lefty has a fondness for sports gambling. Hes supposedly scored huge payoffs on Super Bowl and World Series wagers, and there have also been reports of him losing millions of dollars.None of this should sit well with the folks at the PGA Tour. Just dont expect them to come clean on how they feel about it. Unlike other major sports organizations, the tour wont discuss any disciplinary action that it takes against its players, or even if they violated a rule.It is known the tour forbids players from having dealings with persons whose activities, including gambling, might reflect adversely upon the integrity of the game of golf.In that regard, Mickelson failed miserably.His name turned up in a federal civil suit accusing Walters and Thomas Davis, a former corporate board member at Dean Foods, of insider trading that allowed them to make tens of millions of dollars in illicit stock trades.While the golfer was not charged, he did agree to repay -- with interest -- the $931,000 he made in about a week on a single trade of Dean Foods in the summer of 2012, allegedly on a tip from Walters. An official from the Securities and Exchange Commission summed it up succinctly: Mickelson made money that wasnt his to make.So why would one of the worlds highest-paid athletes get involved in such a dubious transaction? Well, according to the SEC, he had placed bets with Walters prior to the tip, he owed Walters money at the time of the deal, and he repaid Walters a month later in part with the proceeds of his trading.The tour had every right to come down hard on Mickelson for putting the game in such a negative light. It shouldve ordered him to receive counseling for his gambling (and maybe it did), but thats not enough.Mickelsons actions were worthy of a suspension -- three months, minimum -- which wouldve knocked him out of the last three majors of 2016.Of course, that didnt happen.So there was Mickelson, on the top row of the leaderboard at the British Open, the latest chapter in a brilliant career known for pulling off high-risk shots.In the opening round, he nearly became the first player to shoot 62 in a major championship. It was a bit more of a struggle on Day 2, as Mickelson worked around a couple of bogeys for a 2-under 69 that sent him to the weekend with a one-stroke lead over Henrik Stenson.At 46, Mickelson has a chance to become the second oldest champion in Open history, surpassed only by Old Tom Morris way back in 1867.Im starting to hit shots like I did 10 years ago and starting to play some of my best golf again, Mickelson said. I dont see why theres any reason I cant continue that, not just this week but for years.Hard not to cheer for someone with that sort of attitude, especially when you see him bumping fists and doling out golf balls to youngsters all the way around the course.He can still be the Peoples Champion.He just shouldnt be above the law.---Paul Newberry is a national writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry(at)ap.org or at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . Lerentee McCray Jersey . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. Leonard Fournette Jersey .com) - The Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks both take aim at their first wins of the season on Saturday, as the Canucks open their home slate at Rogers Arena. http:///...-Smoot-Draft-Jersey/ . PAUL, Minn. SHENZHEN, China -- Alexander Zverev withdrew from the Shenzhen Open on Wednesday, citing fatigue three days after winning his first ATP title in St. Petersburg.Zverev, at 19 the youngest winner on tour in more than eight years, arrived late from Russia, and the German teen was replaced in the draw by lucky loser Thomas Fabbiano, who went on to beat Japans Yoshihito Nishioka 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to complete the first round.Zverevs older brother, Mischa, defeated another Italian, Fabio Fognini, 7-6 (3), 6-4.Mischa, a qualifier, served 10 aces and won 79 percent of his service points to bookk his first quarterfinal since last year in Valencia, where he also defeated Fognini. Dede Westbrook Jersey. Richard Gasquet brushed aside Australian qualifier Andrew Whittington 6-1, 6-0 in the second round, and will play Mischa Zverev in the quarterfinals.Second-seeded David Goffin of Belgium received a setback in his bid to qualify for the ATP Finals, when he lost to Malek Jaziri of Tunisia 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-2. Jaziri made his second quarterfinals in as many weeks. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys From China Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys Wholesale Hockey Jerseys China Nike Baseball Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys China Cheap Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Canada Wholesale NHL Jerseys Canada Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys Canada Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic Canada Stitched Soccer Jerseys Canada Cheap Jerseys Canada NFL ' ' '
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