Phil Mickelson says he was not distracted by being heckled before teeing off in the LIV Golf Invitational Bedminster on Friday.

Mickelson stepped back from the tee after a spectator shouted "Do it for the Saudi Royal Family" at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster.

The six-time major champion was one of the highest profile players to sign a hugely lucrative deal with the Saudi-backed breakaway LIV Golf series, leading to him being suspended from the PGA Tour.

Mickelson was way down the leaderboard in a tie for 43rd after shooting a four-over 75 in the opening round of the third LIV Golf event in New Jersey, where debutant Henrik Stenson shares the lead with Patrick Reed on seven under.

The 52-year-old insisted he was not affected by the words of a vocal spectator before he took his first shot.

When asked if he was affected by being heckled, Mickelson said: "No. I had a really good day. The people here have always been great and treated me well.

"I had a really good day with the fans and with Henrik playing well, there was a lot of good things going on. I'm just a little frustrated with my game to be honest.

He added: "I'm just frustrated because I expect more of myself, so I'm gonna work until I get it fixed."

Asked again about the heckler, he replied: "I've always enjoyed playing in this area and we had a great day thereafter, I thought it was a good day all around, so I didn't really think much of it."

Stenson made a great start to his first LIV Golf event and was happy to be playing again after losing the European Ryder Cup captaincy due to his defection.

The Swede said: "It's nice to be out there playing golf, and yeah, of course it’s been a busy couple of weeks and not the most fun, but we keep our head down and focus on the golf."

Taylor Pendrith is heading into the weekend at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in great touch, following up his equal-best first round 64 with Friday's second-best score of 65 to head into the clubhouse at 15 under.

Pendrith was the field's best performer off the tee in his second trip around the course, gaining 2.28 strokes according to strokes gained data, collecting eight birdies and one bogey, including birdies on all four of the course's par-fives.

He was co-leader with Tony Finau after 18 holes, and Finau managed to stay in touch with a strong 66 to sit one shot off the pace. In uncharacteristic fashion, Finau was a top-five performer with the putter (3.02 strokes gained).

In outright third is Lee Hodges, two strokes further back after his second consecutive 66, and there is another two-stroke gap to the three-man group tied for fourth.

At 10 under is Russell Henley, Stewart Cink and Cameron Young, with the latter shooting the round of the day with his nine-under 63.

Young's incredible day included seven birdies and an eagle, posting the most strokes gained from tee-to-green (5.72), while also being third in approach shots (3.02) and 11th with his putter (2.35).

A strong international contingent is in the group with Patrick Cantlay at nine under rounding out the top-10, including Australia's Adam Scott, Germany's Stephan Jaeger and South Korea's Kim Si-woo.

England's Callum Tarren is one further back at eight under, compatriot Matt Wallace is at seven under, and fellow Englishman Danny Willett is at six under.

Reigning champion of this event Cam Davis finished right on the cut-line at three under, with Kevin Kisner and Davis Riley narrowly missing out.

New signing Henrik Stenson is tied for the lead after the first round of LIV Golf Bedminster, shooting a seven-under 64 in his first event since committing to the controversial tour.

Stenson – who was stripped of his position as Ryder Cup captain due to his decision to leave the PGA Tour – collected eight birdies and one bogey, and helped his team Majesticks GC to second in the team standings at 10 under.

Tied for the individual lead is Patrick Reed, who also leads the team standings by one stroke along with his 4 Aces GC teammates Dustin Johnson, Pat Perez and Talor Gooch.

Alone in third place is Thailand's 23-year-old Phachara Khongwatmai at five under, and he is one stroke ahead of both Johnson and Carlos Ortiz, rounding out the top-five.

Martin Kaymer, Ian Poulter, Brooks Koepka and Charles Howell III are all one shot further back at three under, while Lee Westwood headlines the group at two under, and Sergio Garcia is in the logjam at one under.

Bryson DeChambeau finished at even par after a late double-bogey, Louis Oosthuizen is at two over after posting a seven on the par-three seventh hole, and there are only three players below Phil Mickelson after he struggled to four over with five bogeys and one birdie.

Two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson has become the latest player to sign with the LIV Golf Invitational Series. 

Watson has been out of action since the US PGA Championship due to a knee injury and will be a non-playing captain in the Saudi-backed circuit's next tournament in Boston. 

The 43-year-old has managed just one top-three finish over the past four seasons, which came at the Waste Management Open in 2020. 

LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman said: "Bubba Watson is a tremendous addition to LIV Golf – another major champion joining the growing list of stars on our teams. 

"His game combines the power, innovation and excitement that the LIV Golf brand represents. 

"He's a risk-taker who has cemented his name among the world's very best and we're eager for him to come aboard to bring new energy and audiences to this league." 

Brooks Koepka and Henrik Stenson have also recently signed with LIV Golf, with the latter being stripped of the captaincy of Europe's Ryder Cup team as a result. 

The series this week announced it will expand in 2023, taking the number of tournaments to 25 with a Team World Championship match play finale at the end of the season. 

NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley will not be signing a contract with LIV Golf.

The legendary 59-year-old met LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman last week to discuss the prospect of becoming an announcer at events on the controversial breakaway tour.

Barkley on Thursday played in the pro-am at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey, where the third LIV competition started on Friday.

The 11-time NBA All-Star said he had not been made an offer to work on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series, but stated: "I'm in a win-win situation. If they offer me something good, that's great. If they don't, I've got a great job at TNT."

Barkley on Friday revealed that he will be remaining loyal to TNT.

He told the New York Post: "I want to thank Greg Norman and LIV for their interest in me. I wish those guys great success and nothing but the best.

"But, in my best interest, and being fair to Turner - because Turner and basketball have given me every single thing in my life - it is best for me to move on and I'm staying with Turner for the rest of my TV career."

Luke Donald has taken a dig at Henrik Stenson by declaring he will keep his word and "see it through" if he is named Europe's Ryder Cup captain.

Stenson was last week stripped of the honour of leading Europe against the United States in Rome next year after electing to join LIV Golf.

Donald is reportedly set to replace the Swede, and the Englishman is under the impression he has "a very good chance" of taking the role after holding talks.

"There’s nothing official to report," Donald told Golfweek. "I have been in talks with Guy [Kinnings, Ryder Cup director] at the European Tour. And that's all I know right now.

"I know I have a very good chance, Thomas Bjorn and a couple other guys are under consideration."

Donald, who never finished on a losing side in the four Ryder Cups he played in, says there is no chance he would take up a deal with LIV Golf after agreeing to captain Europe.

"If I got this captaincy, I would live up to my word and see it through," he said. "Let me put it that way. I wouldn't be doing a Henrik."

The 44-year-old Donald is disappointed Stenson defected to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series but would "love" to step in for Ryder Cup duty, with the 2016 Open champion out of the picture.

Donald said: "I've certainly had some of my best moments on the golf course in the Ryder Cups. What an amazing honour it is to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup, and I would love to be a captain.

"That would be a huge honour as well. I was surprised that he would put his name forward if his plan was to go to LIV, which, you know, the rumours, and I hate to talk about rumours, but rumours are that he'd been in contact with the rival tours, whatever they were, and he was very interested.

"And I think everyone knew that, the European Tour knew that. They obviously took his word that he wasn't going to do it. We all have to sign a clause or contract saying that we won't have anything to do with (LIV).

"I'm disappointed I guess that he would put his name forward and then go to LIV. I understand certain guys going to LIV, in certain situations in their careers and stuff, that makes sense. But obviously something big to give up."

Donald revealed he has been offered a chance to be part of LIV Golf, but only for a television role.

He said: "Turned that down pretty quickly. A little bit of a slight on my game. I know I haven't played that great, but thanks but no thanks."

Just days after winning the 3M Open, Tony Finau has put together a terrific eight-under 64 to earn the position of joint-leader at the Rocket Mortgage Classic after the first round of play.

Finau came from five shots back on Sunday to lift this past weekend's trophy, and he kept that momentum going with a bogey-free round, birdieing three holes on the front-nine and five down the back.

He finished with the most strokes gained on approach shots (4.20 strokes gained), and was third in strokes gained off the tee (1.65).

Speaking to the media after stepping off the 18th green, Finau acknowledged his rich run of form, and the fact that it was the first round of his career where he had hit all 18 greens in regulation.

"I was riding the high off last week," he said. "I didn’t know that fact before today, that I haven’t hit all 18 greens, so to be able to do that here today is pretty cool."

The only other player at eight under is Canada's Taylor Pendrith, who had nine birdies, and then bogeyed the 18th hole to give up the outright lead.

That pairing is two strokes clear of the chasing field, with England's Matt Wallace and the American group of Michael Thompson, Webb Simpson, Cameron Champ and Lee Hodges all posting 66s.

There is strong international representation in the logjam tied for eighth at five under, including South Korea's Kim Si-woo, Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat, England's Callum Tarren and Sweden's Henrik Norlander.

Australia's Cam Davis is one further back at four under, his compatriots Adam Scott and Jason Day are at three-under, while England's Danny Willett and strong major performer Will Zalatoris are flirting with the cut-line at two under.

Henrik Stenson says he is "obviously disappointed" to no longer be European Ryder Cup captain but has to "move on" as he prepares to make his LIV Golf debut.

The Swede was last week stripped of the honour of leading Europe in Rome next year after signing a lucrative deal to join the Saudi Arabia-backed breakaway LIV Golf series.

Stenson had hoped he would be able to continue as captain despite his defection, but says he is looking to the future ahead of his first LIV Golf appearance in Bedminster on Friday.

He told reporters on Thursday: "I don't feel like I've given it up. I made every arrangement possible here to be able to fulfil my captain's duties, and I've had great help here from LIV to be able to do that.

"And still, the decision was made that I was to be removed. I'm obviously disappointed over the situation. But it is what it is, and yeah, we move on from there now."

Luke Donald is reportedly set to be named as Europe's new captain, but Stenson says he is not aware of who is successor will be.

"That's news to me," Stenson said when asked about the prospect of Donald getting the job.

"Obviously, I'm not in the loop on these things at this point. I don't feel like I should comment on that until that's official news, if that were to be the case."

A LIV Golf League with a 14-tournament schedule will be launched next year.

A controversial Saudi-backed 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Series started last month, with the likes of Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson quitting the PGA Tour to join the breakaway tour.

Henrik Stenson is set to make his LIV Golf debut this week after he also defected, prompting the Swede to be stripped of Europe's Ryder Cup captaincy, while Brooks Koepka is among the other high-profile players to sign up.

LIV Golf on Wednesday announced an expansion for 2023, which will see an increase in tournaments for 48 players who will compete for 12 team franchises, with $405million in prize money up for grabs.

Events are set to take place in new locations in both the Americas and Europe, while players will also be expected to showcase their talents in Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East, Indonesia, China, Singapore and Hong Kong.

There will be a total of 25 LIV Golf tournaments next year and a Team World Championship match play grand finale at the end of the season.

LIV Golf stressed that the new 2023 league schedule will not compete with any of the four majors.

Greg Norman, CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf, said: "LIV Golf's expanding global platform will add a new dimension to the golf ecosystem as we know it, one that provides an opportunity for players and fans around the world to help maximise our beloved sport's true potential.

"Our franchise model will bring new energy and excitement to fans from all corners of the world, establishing a league of teams to connect and grow with. The International Series will attract new talent and offer unprecedented pathways that develop the next generation of stars.

"LIV Golf is committed to making sustainable investments that grow the game now and for the future, and we are proud to turn these dreams into a reality."

Sergio Garcia has revealed he will "hold off" on quitting the DP World Tour, claiming he remains hopeful he can feature at the Ryder Cup despite signing up to feature in the LIV Golf series.

Garcia is one of several big names to join Greg Norman's controversial breakaway tour in recent months, and declared earlier in July he was "quite clear" on his intention to quit the European circuit. 

At this month's Open, the 2017 Masters champion also said he had all but given up on another Ryder Cup appearance after claiming he was "not wanted" on the European tour. 

Last week, Europe's 2023 Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson was stripped of the role after signing up to the LIV circuit, while both the PGA and DP World Tours have looked to sanction players joining the series.

But Garcia has gone back on his earlier pledge, and says he will wait for clarification on his chances of Ryder Cup participation before making any decision on his future.

"When I finished the Open Championship [last] Sunday, I said that I was most likely going to resign my membership from the [DP World] Tour," Garcia told ESPN. "That obviously meant not being eligible for the Ryder Cup because you have to be a member.

"[But] I had a couple of good conversations with guys on the [DP World] Tour, I'm going to hold off on that.

"I want to at least see what's happening when Ryder Cup qualification starts. See what kind of rules and eligibilities they have in there. If I agree with what they [are], I'll definitely keep playing whatever I can on the tour and try to qualify for that Ryder Cup team.

"And if not, then we'll move on. But it is definitely something that is in my mind.

"I told Keith Pelley [chief executive of the DP World Tour]: 'I want to keep being a member of the DP World Tour. I want to play my minimum, still support the tour, still have my eligibilities to make Ryder Cup teams.

"He said: 'That's great, but we've got to do what's best for us'. We'll see what that is."

However, Garcia did express sympathy for Stenson, describing the Swede's Ryder Cup ousting as "sad".

"Now it's gotten a little bit sadder with fines and bans," Garcia added. "What they did to Henrik. It's a little bit sad."

Garcia finished 24th in LIV Golf's first event in London at the start of June before posting a 26th-placed finish in Portland in early July. 

Tony Finau produced a terrific Sunday performance to win the 3M Open with a final score of 17 under par – even if It was not quite a comfortable finish.

The American completed his final round with six birdies and two bogeys to post the equal second-best score of the day with a 67. One bogey came on the 18th after Finau teed off into the water, but he was never in any real danger after starting that hole with a four-stroke lead.

Finau's charge to the front of the field began during his back nine, when he rattled off four birdies over the course of six holes – including three in a row on 14, 15 and 16 – perfectly coinciding with the collapse of 54-hole leader Scott Piercy.

Speaking to CBS after stepping off the 18th green, Finau said it felt like he was a long way off the lead until it all started to shift.

"[It took] really everything I had," he said. "I was playing great, and every time I looked it up it seemed like I was four or five shots back, really all day.

"I really got things going down the back nine, and once I took control of the golf tournament it was a totally different mindset, trying to seal the deal.

"It's so special just to have my family here with me, and to celebrate this win with them… this one was for them."

Piercy began his day at 18 under with a four-stroke lead, and he was cruising early, making a couple of early birdies to jump out to 20 under, with his buffer extending to five. But everything began to fall apart on the eighth hole.

After back-to-back bogeys on eight and nine, Piercy also bogeyed 11, teased a bounce-back with a birdie on 12, and then capitulated with bogey, triple-bogey, bogey from his next three holes to go tumbling down the leaderboard. Over the course of eight holes, he dropped seven shots, completely eliminating himself from contention.

Piercy finished tied for fourth at 13 under after his 76, along with fellow Americans Tom Hoge and James Hahn, with Hahn's six-under 65 ending up two strokes better than any other final round.

That grouping was one stroke behind Argentina's Emiliano Grillo and South Korea Im Sung-jae, who were tied for second at 14 under.

Rounding out the top 10 were the English pairing of Danny Willett and Callum Tarren, tied for seventh at 10 under along with Greyson Sigg, with Chesson Hadley one shot back.

Recent PGA Tour winner J.T. Poston headlined the group at eight under, and Australia's Cam Davis was at seven under as he prepares to defend his Rocket Mortgage Classic crown this coming week.

Richie Ramsay secured his first DP World Tour/European Tour success in seven years as a late surge saw him win the English Open at the Hillside Golf Club.

Ramsay's playing partner Julien Guerrier had appeared the likely winner for much of Sunday, finding himself two shots to the good thanks to three birdies as he began the back nine.

But the Frenchman's six pars and three bogeys thereafter left him at even par for the day, and Ramsay – who ended the weekend at 14 under – took full advantage.

Birdies on 14, 15 and 17 gave Ramsay a one-shot lead on the final hole, and he held his nerve with an immense par putt to seal his first Tour success since March 2015, when he won the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco.

It was a moment of redemption for the Scot, who saw his chance for British Masters success at The Belfry in May vanish when he closed out with a double bogey.

Given that disappointment and the fact he had not won a tournament in seven years, Ramsay was understandably emotional at the conclusion.

"The biggest thing for me was I made a promise to my daughter, and I don't break promises to her. I said I would get her a trophy and this one's for her," Ramsay said.

"It just feels unbelievable. The belief. I've had some bad times over the last couple of years, but I kept believing, I knew my game was good.

"I know about what happened at The Belfry, but it's links golf and I feel like I've always got an advantage when I play links golf.

"Obviously I got a bit emotional there at the end, but I haven't won since my daughter was born and that's six years.

"That one's for Olivia [his daughter]. Hopefully she's watching. Angela's [Ramsay's wife] been brilliant. She's never given up on me, sent me a message this morning telling me that she was really proud of me in whatever I accomplish.

"It's just hours and hours of practice and it comes down to one shot and I managed to do it under the gun. It doesn't matter what happens now, I'll remember that for the rest of my life."

Guerrier's sloppy finish ultimately saw him finish in a five-way tie for third on 12 under for the tournament – that group included Marcus Kinhult, whose five-under 67 was the best round of the day.

Paul Waring was the other player to capitalise on Guerrier's difficult back nine, as the local favourite's 70 ensured he ended the competition outright second on 13 under.

Jamaica's golfing community has been thrown into mourning once more with news of the passing of stalwart and many-time national amateur representative Biah Maragh. Maragh represented Jamaica at the national senior level between 1975 and 1990 before retiring from competitive golf in 1991.

The stalwart of Jamaican golf passed on June 22 at the age of 73 and was buried on Saturday, July 23 following a service of thanksgiving at the Sandy Bay Seventh Day Adventist Church in Hanover.

"The Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) is saddened to learn of the passing of Biah Maragh," said Jamaica Golf Association President Jodi Munn-Barrow.

"Biah was a national representative for many years. He was the top amateur also for quite some time and performed well in our regional tournaments. It is sad to know that we have lost another stalwart in the game so shortly after the passing of Turo Ziadie. I extend sincere condolences to his family. I will miss him too. A lot of these players were those that I looked up to when I was a junior and who helped me in my junior career so Biah's passing on a personal note is also quite difficult for me."

 Maragh was honoured at the 53rd staging of the Jamaica Open Golf Championship at the Tryall Golf Club in Hanover, where he worked for 35 years at the time he was honoured in 2020. He also competed in the Jamaica Open a number of times.

Maragh worked at the Half Moon Golf Course from 1965-1968 and eventually moved to Kingston in 1974 to become the superintendent at the Constant Spring Golf Club. Over the years, he thrived due mainly to the support of his friend David Mais and successive administrations of the Jamaica Golf Association.

His contemporaries were Lee Edler, Seymour Rose, Garfield Sobers, Lindy Delapenha and Stafford DeMercardo.

Brooke Henderson found a strong finish to win the Evian Championship, sealing the second major title of her career with a birdie on the final green.

The Canadian overnight leader put an error-strewn start to Sunday's final round behind her to pick up shots at the 14th, 15th and 18th, delivering a level-par 71 for a 17-under-par aggregate of 267 for 72 holes.

The first of Henderson's big-stage triumphs came when she was just 18 years old at the 2016 Women's PGA Championship, and six years later she has another of golf's great prizes to her name.

American Sophia Schubert went into the outright lead at 16 under when she made birdie at the 15th hole. Henderson at that point was only beginning to repair the damage that had seen her reach the 14th tee on three-over par for her round, with a double-bogey six at the sixth giving hope to her rivals.

The late flurry of birdies from Henderson salvaged the situation, though, as Schubert was unable to pick up any further shots, finishing alone in second after a 68, one shot behind the champion.

Henderson said: "To make the birdie on 18, that makes it really nice. I was definitely not at my best today, but I just tried to stay patient and remind myself I was still in it. I'm super excited to have my second major championship win."

Third place was shared by five players – Spain's Carlota Ciganda, Kim Hyo-joo of South Korea, England's Charley Hull, New Zealand's Lydia Ko and Japan's Mao Saigo – as they finished on 15-under par for the week.

Scott Piercy holds a commanding four-stroke lead coming into the final round of the 3M Open, after posting a five-under 66 at TPC Twin Cities.

Coming into moving day with a three-shot lead, Piercy was red-hot on the front nine on a rain-interrupted Saturday in Blaine, Minnesota, scoring five consecutive birdies between holes three and seven.

A bogey on the par-five 18th to close out the round put him on 18-under after 54 holes, moving him four shots clear of Emiliano Grillo in second.

Piercy's last win on the PGA Tour came alongside Billy Horschel as the 2018 Zurich Classic, with his last solo win on the tour going back three years further, taking out the 2015 Barbasol Championship.

Grillo's last win on the PGA Tour also came in 2015, winning the Frys.com Open in a playoff, and he's in contention despite an up-and-down third round amid suitable conditions.

Afternoon thunderstorms caused the third round to be moved up, and without much, the more accessible pin locations and shortened course distance made for low scores.

Grillo and Im Sung-jae were the only players to finish Saturday in the leaderboard's top ten with a third-round score of less than five-under.

Going four-under over the opening six holes after an eagle on the par-five sixth, the Argentine also had to birdie the last to make up for bogeys on the ninth and 15th holes.

Doug Ghim and Tom Hoge are a further stroke back on 13-under, with both posting scores of six-under 65 for their third rounds.

After three consecutive birdies between five and seven, Finau made an extraordinary par save on the par-four ninth, after failing to make the green with his opening three shots.

With the ball nestled in the rough just off the green, the 32-year-old turned his putter sideways and after a couple of practice strokes, made a 34-foot save with the putter's toe.