A sure sign that the USGA needs to take a closer look at how it sets up the U.S. Open is when it draws comparisons with the Travelers Championship.

Phil Mickelson's recent split with his longtime caddie, Jim "Bones" McKay, made big news in the golf world. It caught everybody so off guard - they had been together 25 years, after all - but for the first time following the pair's announcement, Mickelson went into greater detail about the move. There was some speculation following the move that the pair's relationship had become increasingly fractious, but speaking on Golf Channel Monday morning as part of media blitz for KPMG's forthcoming Future Leaders program, taking please at the LPGA Tour's Women's PGA Championship this week, Mickelson described a less dramatic version of events. "Bones is going to get a number of top players coming after him, because he's such a great caddie.

Titleist took its newest prototype irons, the 718 series, to the professional tours for the first time this week at the PGA Tour’s Quicken Loans National and the European Tour’s HNA Open de France. While the company declined to provide specifics about the irons, it is worth noting that in addition to updated versions of the AP1 and AP2, there is now an AP3 iron The AP1 traditionally has been a longer-blade-length club designed to maximize stability and forgiveness, while the AP2 has a shorter blade length and slightly less offset – it has been popular with many better players, including recent PGA Tour winners Jordan Spieth and Jason Dufner. Positioning the new 718 AP3 between the AP1 and AP2

A sure sign that the USGA needs to take a closer look at how it sets up the U.S. Open is when it draws comparisons with the Travelers Championship a week later. Only this has nothing to do with the scoring. To suggest that TPC River Highlands at 1,000 yards shorter was a tougher test than Erin Hills is to ignore that the U.S. Open played as a par 72 for the first time in 25 years. Golf is about the lowest score, not the lowest score to par. Jordan Spieth won the Travelers after finishing at 268. Brooks Koepka won a U.S. Open in soft conditions and moderate wind at 272. It's not about the finish, either. Spieth, as popular as any player today, holed a 60-foot bunker shot in a playoff to beat Daniel

Ryu, who carded a course-record 61 on Saturday to open a five-stroke lead, finished two shots ahead of countrywoman Amy Yang and Thailand's Moriya Jutanugarn. Ranked third in the world, Ryu is projected to supplant No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn for the top spot when Monday's rankings are released. Ryu finished at a tournament-record 18-under 195 for her fifth career victory.

Each week on GolfChannel.com, we’ll examine which players’ stocks and trends are rising and falling in the world of golf. RISING Jordan (+9%): His final round at the Travelers was a reminder of everything that makes Spieth special: Shaky with the putter, talking to his ball on every shot, he still found a way to win with a clutch shot in a big moment. Celebrations (+6%): At last! A well-executed celebration that can be replayed on a loop without needing to cringe! Michael Greller (+5%): Spieth’s loyal caddie never seems to get enough credit for keeping his man in the ballgame. The former sixth-grade math teacher has the perfect combination of smarts, patience and perspective. So Yeon Ryu (+4%):

Tiger Woods will not be present for the Quicken Loans National, an event he usually hosts with his foundation. Instead, the 41-year-old American will continue to receive treatment to help manage his medications, Rick Singer, CEO of the Tiger Woods Foundation, said in a statement. The PGA Tour event, which takes place in Washington and gets underway on Thursday, has been put on for the past 10 years.

The Golf Club of Houston, site of the PGA Tour's Shell Houston Open, revealed that vandals have again destroyed one of its greens, but this time there may be some photographic help in catching the culprits. The club's Twitter account showed the images on social media, along with two images of a pair of people on an ATV. They are asking the public to speak up if they know who is in the photographs. This is the third time that vandals have wrecked parts of the course. Originally in January of last year and again in May of 2016. The Shell Houston Open was contested March 30 - April 2, with Russell Henley winning.

Defending champion Billy Hurley III has endured an emotional roller coaster the past two years at the US PGA National, from a missing father to a breakthrough victory. The last two years have been quite a ride," Hurley said Tuesday. Hurley's father, Willard, went missing for nearly two weeks in July 2015 and Billy made a public appeal for help at the National.

Phil Mickelson rode the Metra on Monday to get to the LPGA tournament in south suburban Olympia Fields.