Phil Mickelson has never played this much golf this late in the year since the PGA Tour began a new season in October instead of January.

He's never had this much of a reason.

Mickelson is running out of time to show why U.S. captain Tiger Woods should pick him for the Presidents Cup. At stake is a streak that is unlikely to be matched. Mickelson has played on 24 consecutive Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams, qualifying for 20 of them. The last time he wasn't on a team was 1993, the year Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth were born.

Through two tournaments, there are few signs of progress except for his weight loss.

As always with Mickelson, there is no shortage of optimism.

How else to explain how a player can be so good for so long? How he could win his first PGA Tour event when he was in college and his most recent when he was a year away from being eligible for the PGA Tour Champions?

How he could go nearly 26 consecutive years among the top 50 in the world?

''The challenge of playing golf at the highest level brings out the best in me,'' Mickelson said in Las Vegas after he tied for 61st in a tournament he had not played since 2005. ''It forces me to get in the best shape, forces me to work hard and to focus on something positive, improving my game. It gives me a direction, and it's been a big part of my life and I love it.

''It's a fun challenge for me right now to play my best golf.''

It doesn't look like much fun, not based on the results.

Since winning at Pebble Beach in February, Mickelson has gone 18 consecutive tournaments out of the top 10, the longest drought of his career. The second-longest drought out of the top 10 was 16 events, all but three of those when he was finishing his senior year at Arizona State.

He began his 29th season on the PGA Tour by hitting consecutive shots out-of-bounds on the par-5 fifth hole at Silverado and making a quadruple-bogey 9, which led to a 75 and a missed cut in the Safeway Open. The next week in Las Vegas, just four shots out of the lead going into the weekend, Mickelson shot 74 in the third round on a TPC Summerlin course that yielded six scores of 63 or lower.

Mickelson finished too low to earn world ranking points in Las Vegas and dropped to No. 46.

Next up for him is the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges in South Korea next week, and he has hinted strongly about playing the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, where he has won twice. That's the final event before Woods makes his four captain's picks.

If Mickelson doesn't perform well in either of those, he will be out of the top 50 by the end of the year. The last time he was in danger of that was the start of 2018. He was at No. 49 and then tied for fifth in the Phoenix Open. A month later, he won the WGC-Mexico Championship.

That's what makes Mickelson so compelling, along with his sheer talent, imagination and willingness to take on any shot. Even at age 49, having gone seven months without so much as contending, there is no telling what Lefty will do next - or when.

It's not just about playing in another Presidents Cup. That streak will end at some point, and it might take a win for Woods to justify picking him over the seven players ahead of Mickelson in the standings, a list that includes U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland, Rickie Fowler and Woods, who has not ruled out being a playing captain at Australia's Royal Melbourne in December.

Mickelson won't accept anything less than what he believes he can do.

''There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to play at my best,'' he said at the Safeway Open. ''I'm physically able to do it, my game feels sharp, the touch is there, the elements are there and yet I haven't been pulling it out. But I'm determined to turn that around.''

Mickelson first mentioned when he won in Mexico City last year that he wants to reach 50 wins on the PGA Tour. ''Oh, I will. I'll get there,'' he said that day after No. 43. When he reached No. 44 at Pebble, he was a little more practical about it - not because he's getting older, but because winning is getting harder.

Lefty has never played more than twice in the fall since the PGA Tour went to the wraparound season in 2013. Now he's playing at least three tournaments, probably four, with hopes of making it five at the Presidents Cup.

Beyond that?

In June, the U.S. Open returns to Winged Foot, where he made double bogey on the 18th hole to lose the U.S. Open, the only major he hasn't won.

There's always something.

This much is certain: Whether he gets there or not, Lefty will go down swinging.

Tasmania

Last season Fifth (League stage: 3 wins, 5 defeats, 2 draws)
Captain Matthew Wade
Coach Adam Griffith

2018-19 stats

Overview

George Bailey stepping away from the captaincy early last season and the shoulder injury he sustained during the BBL certainly disrupted Tasmania's attempt to try and go one better than 2017-18. They started the season with a superb win in Queensland but were very inconsistent thereafter. There was a heavy reliance on Matthew Wade in the middle order. He had an extraordinary season scoring over 1000 runs and moved from No. 6 to No. 4 midway through the year to firstly try and arrest Tasmania's batting issues but also push his Test case. He did the latter but could do nothing about the former and his potential absence during the Tests this summer will severely challenge Tasmania's young players. Jordan Silk and Alex Doolan battled manfully at the top of the order on a difficult new-ball pitch at Bellerive. Charlie Wakim announced himself at No.3 last year but they need the likes of Jake Doran and Ben McDermott to take the next step in the middle order. One of those two is likely to keep wicket when Tim Paine and Wade are unavailable while Silk is set to captain. The attack will be strong again. Jackson Bird and Gabe Bell are a formidable new-ball duo in the heavy Hobart air and Riley Meredith adds speed at first change. Tasmania opted to go without a specialist spinner quite often last year, particularly at home, but young offspinner Jarrod Freeman could well get further opportunities after debuting last season.

Player to watch

Jordan Silk made a century in Tasmania's last Sheffield Shield final triumph back in 2012-13. He was the youngest of the six players that season to make multiple Shield centuries at just 20, and he achieved it in just three games. He was selected to play for Australia A on a tour of England in 2013, but after 50 first-class games, and 97 innings, he's only managed to score four more centuries. Bellerive Oval has been a very difficult place to open the batting and so his overall average of 31.67 is better than it appears. At 27, he is stepping into the captaincy when Wade is absent and Tasmania would love for that added responsibility to help him thrive with the bat.

Young gun

There is a lot of hype around Riley Meredith in white-ball cricket but Tasmania are excited about his development in all three forms. At 23, he is still arguably a little while away from becoming a fully-fledged international prospect but he has shown a lot of promise. He had a good Shield season last year as the first change option behind the new ball pairing of Bird and Bell as he took 27 wickets at an average of 28.96, without a five-wicket haul. Tasmania have some solid bowling all-rounders which allows Meredith to be used in shorter bursts to maximise his pace. His development will be interesting to follow.

South Australia

Last season Sixth (League stage: 0 wins, 6 defeats, 4 draws)
Captain Travis Head
Coach Jamie Siddons

2018-19 stats

Overview

South Australia are desperate to improve this season after two disastrous years. They failed to win a game last season after winning just two the year before. There were some injury issues with 2016-17 Player of the Year Chadd Sayers missing half the season due to a knee injury, Ashes hopeful Daniel Worrell played just four games due to back and hamstring problems and Alex Carey missed eight games due to national duty. But coach Jamie Siddons is desperate to see his established players like Callum Ferguson, Tom Cooper, Jake Weatherald and Jake Lehmann step up. Captain Travis Head will also be eager for big runs to regain his Test place after failing to post a century last year despite reaching 50 five times in 13 Shield innings. The batsmen are still coming to terms with the new drop in surface at Adelaide Oval, which has become a seamer's playground after previously being a batsman's paradise. The bowling depth will be tested again. Sayers is still working back to full fitness, Worrall will miss the first part of the season and Joe Mennie, who took 37 wickets at 19.72 last season, is also sidelined. Young legspinner Lloyd Pope got a taste last year and may well play a little bit more this season depending on Adam Zampa's availability depending on T20I selection.

Player to watch

Alex Carey only played two matches last season and it remains to be seen how much he plays this season but at this stage, he is guaranteed to play three of the first four matches and looks set to be available for five of the first six. He broke the record for the most dismissals in a season in 2016-17 and is all but inked in as Paine's successor in the Australia's Test team, but the selectors will want more runs from him. He made a Shield century last season but he only has two first-class hundreds in 55 innings. He is a better player than that and some continuity in playing a string of first-class games should give him the chance to prove it.

Young gun

Lloyd Pope has developed a cult following after bursting onto the scene in the Under-19 World Cup, but he found his first experience in Shield cricket difficult, as many young legspinners do. Western Australia's Shaun Marsh took a liking to him in a fourth-innings run chase last season and Pope learned some valuable lessons from the experience. He is expected to continue to develop over the coming seasons but patience will be required from all involved.

Australia's selection chairman Trevor Hohns feels Alex Carey should be given more leadership exposure so that he may be a legitimate captaincy contender whenever Tim Paine's time is up, even if he is doubtful whether there would be room for both to play in the Test team this summer.

Having successfully retained the Ashes in England, Paine's immediate future is secure, leaving him with a good deal of autonomy about how long he decides to continue playing. Carey, though, is held in extremely high regard by Hohns and the national team coach Justin Langer, while he has also assembled a first-class batting record that is trending impressively upwards after two difficult Sheffield Shield campaigns to begin with.

Hohns admitted that Paine's position as captain of the Test side in England had made it virtually impossible to fit Carey into the squad, and also suggested that like Adam Gilchrist 20 years ago, he might have to wait until the incumbent gloveman exits the scene before gaining a debut. Hohns was selection chairman in 1999 when Ian Healy's decorated Test career was summarily ended after the panel had decided against first trialling Gilchrist as a batsman only before making him the No. 1 wicketkeeper.

"Alex Carey is very highly thought of and desperately unlucky, but it just didn't quite fit him when Tim's the captain and there's a couple of other blokes that wicket-keep as the fill-in, but Alex understands all of that," Hohns told ESPNcricinfo. "He is held in such high regard that I'd seriously like to see him captaining his state, but that's not for me to say. He's the type of person that potentially is a very, very good leader.

"I keep going back to Adam Gilchrist as a prime example. He possibly could have played as a batsman but we don't know. I put him in the allrounder category and Alex can be the same."

Undoubtedly, there is a sense among Australian cricket's decision-makers that Carey is the team's future wicketkeeper in all forms, and also potentially the captain. Paine, by his selection as a leader while keeping wickets, has opened up the possibility for someone other than the best batsman getting the job as had been customary.

"Along the way we've been trying to develop leaders. Not necessarily anointing who the next captain is, and that's all been to give some of the younger guys, who deserve it by the way, the opportunity to show some leadership around." Trevor Hohns

In doing so, he has opened a door for Carey who, was inaugural captain of the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the AFL before returning to cricket, is yet to play a Test. In South Australia he has played under the leadership of Travis Head, who has this year served as Test vice-captain but was dropped for the fifth Test at The Oval.

"It's nice to hear that and to have the support of the playing group and the coaches," Carey told ESPNcricinfo about Hohns' comments. "It means I'm doing something right. I would love to captain firstly South Australia if that opportunity came up. Once I'm in the green and gold it's [a case of] keep learning as much as I can from guys that have led the country.

"I guess learning from experiences through footy, through cricket, through life, I see my best leadership qualities is how I try to handle myself, and how do I try to train, and how do I try to be the best player and person I can be. If I can help Finchy [Aaron Finch] at all behind the stumps, obviously that's my job as vice-captain, so to keep learning and keep growing in that role. Hopefully one day if there's an opportunity I'd be comfortable enough to do that."

The other man in leadership considerations will naturally be Steven Smith, having stamped himself as one of the world's finest batsman during the Ashes and also demonstrated a growing measure of maturity and life balance that was arguably missing before Newlands and his year out of the national team. "That'll be one for the future to be answered about Steven in general," Hohns said.

"Along the way we've been trying to develop leaders. Not necessarily anointing who the next captain is, and that's all been to give some of the younger guys, who deserve it by the way, the opportunity to show some leadership around. There's more to being the captain than just making the calls out on the field. It's more about off the field etc. We're trying to make sure some of these guys get experience at state level, and while we can't tell the states who we want as their leaders, we can make suggestions."

Carey's first two summers in the Shield reaped a mere 200 runs in seven matches for South Australia, but since then he has compiled 1338 first-class runs in 24 matches at an average of 37.16, including two centuries. It's a record that compares favourably with most batsmen in the country save for the very top of the pile, meaning that a rapid start to the Shield this season would pose serious questions for Hohns and Langer, particularly after Carey showed himself more than comfortable in international company during the World Cup.

Paine's batting was the subject of plenty of scrutiny during the Ashes, as he struggled for runs until a vital half-century in the decisive fourth Test at Old Trafford, after had been counselled by none other than Healy to "bat like a wicketkeeper" and be more intent on scoring than occupation of the crease.

"Tim's done a very good job as captain, that goes without saying. We do obviously need him to continue to contribute," Hohns said. "He's still probably the best wicketkeeper in the world in my mind, I might be a bit biased, but in the area he operates in it's important to contribute with the bat. That's all we'll be asking him, and he'll know when the right time is I would say. Then if his performance or his contribution wanes then they're the conversations we have to have at the appropriate time."

There is some irony to the level of discussion to be had about the future of the Australian captaincy, given the extremely rushed and far from glorious circumstances in which Paine was handed the role by Hohns and the former coach Darren Lehmann at the height of the Newlands scandal last year. Hohns has revealed his account of the snap decision to make Paine the Test captain in Cape Town, within minutes of being informed by Smith that he was to stand down.

"We didn't have time to go into anything in too much detail because we had to make a decision just like that," Hohns said. "But it was clear he was the type of person who could do the job, personality-wise as well. As it's turned out he's done a wonderful job. In a very, very difficult period of time he's been outstanding for us and for Australian cricket."

A full interview with Trevor Hohns will appear on ESPNcricinfo later this week

LOS ANGELES -- USC freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis has been medically cleared to play and will start at No. 9 Notre Dame this weekend, head coach Clay Helton announced on Tuesday.

Slovis had been in concussion protocol for the past few weeks after suffering a concussion in the first series of the Trojans' 30-23 win over Utah on Sept. 20.

"We're glad to have him back," Helton said.

Both Slovis and redshirt junior Matt Fink are preparing as if they'll be the starter against the Irish this weekend, Helton said. Fink threw for 351 yards and three touchdowns with one interception after replacing Slovis against Utah, but threw for just 163 yards and three interceptions in the loss to Washington two weeks ago.

Slovis said Tuesday he "feels great" and has no concerns about playing on the road Saturday. "I don't think it makes a big difference whether I'm on the road or in the Coliseum. Just be disciplined, going through the reads, not letting the last play affect what I do the next time," he said.

Slovis, who has thrown five touchdowns to four interceptions since replacing former starter JT Daniels (ACL) during the opener against Fresno State, returns to face a Notre Dame defense that has allowed more than 200 passing yards in a game just once this season and has limited opposing quarterbacks to just three passing touchdowns in five games.

Although Slovis wasn't cleared to go through normal practice reps until Monday, Helton said that the freshman used the bye week to work and throw with receivers, and looked sharp the past two days.

"He does not look out of form to me," Helton said. "He looks really good. He came out today and I thought was very decisive with his decision-making, looked really good. Hopefully that continues and carries into South Bend."

With the practice time Slovis lost, offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said the key to getting Slovis game-ready is to get him as many reps as he can this week.

"He'll be ready," Harrell said. "He did a good job while he was out of getting mental reps and stuff ... he has a little bit of rust and stuff, and you can see it. His arm might not be as crisp as it was because he took some time off, but I do think it probably feels good because he gave it a little break. We got four more days to get him right and I think he'll be ready."

Helton also said that sophomore safety Talanoa Hufanga, who was also dealing with a concussion, has been medically cleared and the staff anticipates that he'll play this weekend. Sophomore cornerback Olaijah Griffin, who missed the Washington game because of a back injury, is "getting very close," Helton said, and practiced Monday and Tuesday. His status for Saturday is still unclear.

Attorneys for Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown have asked a federal judge to reject a $400,000 settlement offer of judgment from the city of Milwaukee.

"Mr. Brown deserves more than a mere apology," his lawyer, Mark Thomsen, told ESPN's The Undefeated. "He, as any human being, citizen of the USA, is entitled to an express vindication that his constitutional rights have been violated. He is entitled to no less."

Brown had previously sued the city of Milwaukee, alleging police officers used excessive force and targeted him because he is black when they tased him in the back while citing him for a parking violation in January 2018. Brown's initial lawsuit was filed in June 2018.

Two weeks ago, with the approval of Milwaukee's Common Council, the city made a $400,000 settlement offer to the veteran guard but denied any liability. At the time, Thomsen called the offer insufficient because it didn't include an admission of guilt and undervalued Brown's losses.

Brown illegally parked in a disabled spot outside a Walgreens on Jan. 26, 2018, and was talking with a group of officers while waiting for his citation when the situation escalated. Officers took the 6-foot-6, 232-pounder down and used a stun gun because he didn't immediately remove his hands from his pockets, as ordered.

Brown averaged 6.4 points and 3.2 rebounds off the bench for the Bucks last season. He will be playing in his third season with the Bucks this upcoming season.

Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons hit the first 3-pointer of his NBA career in a preseason win over the Guangzhou Long-Lions on Tuesday night.

The 6-foot-10 point guard pulled up from deep beyond the arc seconds before halftime with the Sixers up big. He was treated to rapturous applause by the home Philly crowd when he hit the shot.

Simmons was 0-19 from beyond the arc in preseason, regular season and postseason games entering Tuesday. His last 3 came on Nov. 30, 2015 against Charleston while he was at LSU. It was the only 3-pointer he made in his college career.

Simmons has been routinely criticized for not taking open 3-pointers and for failing to develop a reliable jump shot. However, teammates said Simmons has shown increased confidence in the shot this offseason, and videos of his shooting sessions have gone viral in recent months.

Simmons didn't attempt another 3 in Tuesday's game and finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in 21 minutes of action.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Injured New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks feels like he's ready to return to the roster for the American League Championship Series.

Hicks, who has a right elbow flexor strain and last played on Aug. 3, is among a group of players at the Yankees' complex in Tampa who were not on the AL Division Series roster.

Hick said Tuesday he is "definitely ready to go out there and play."

"For sure," Hicks said. "That's really what I'm getting ready for is to get back and play in the playoffs. Get back to playing baseball."

New York, which completed a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Monday night, will face either the Houston Astros or Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the ALCS on Saturday night.

Hicks is facing live pitching and throwing to bases.

"I'm pretty much doing everything," Hicks said.

Hicks watched the Yankees' series-clinching win with Rays catcher Travis d'Arnaud and his family at a restaurant in St. Petersburg.

"It's the second time that they celebrated without me, so it's one of those things that you just want to be part of it," Hicks said. "It is tough."

Others working out include outfielder Clint Frazier, first baseman Mike Ford, and pitchers Jordan Montgomery and Stephen Tarpley.

"I think all of us are ready to help if called upon," Frazier said. "It's obviously a situation that you'd rather be there, but if we're called upon I think any one of us is ready to go up there and contribute."

"It's a unique situation, especially because it's hard to break into the big leagues as it is," Frazier added. "So, I think it's one of those things when you finally do break in, it's one of the best feelings that you can have. I've had that feeling for a little bit this year, and I'm searching for that feeling again. All I can do is continue to wait."

Third baseman Miguel Andujar and first baseman Greg Bird, both out for the season with injuries, are also at the complex.

ATLANTA -- Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said he expects Adam Wainwright to be available out of the bullpen in Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.

"I would expect Waino [Adam Wainwright] to be available," Shildt said. "Dakota [Hudson] may be a little different scenario. Listen, we've got guys we have a lot of confidence in. You never say never. Extenuating circumstances."

If he gets in the game, Wainwright would be seeing the mound on two days' rest. If the ball gets to Hudson, it would mean just one day off after he started Game 4.

Jack Flaherty and Mike Foltynewicz will rematch for Game 5, but both could have pitched on Monday. In fact, Flaherty wanted in during the eventual 10-inning victory by the Cardinals.

"He said, 'I got an inning, and I got a 0,'" Shildt recalled. "Me and Mad Dog [Mike Maddux] said, 'Well, we appreciate that, but we need to take care of you, and we need to take the opportunity for Game 5.'"

On the other side of the diamond, lefty Max Fried has been a weapon out of the bullpen for Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker, pitching in the first three games of the series and pinch running in Game 4. With two days off from the mound, the Braves will deploy him accordingly in Game 5.

"He'll definitely be available for that now, having two days off," Snitker said. "And multi-innings in the National League gets you the next at-bat, depending on where that falls."

With only three runs separating the two teams in the series thus far, Snitker said he doesn't expect things to change in a do-or-die Game 5.

"Yeah, it's kind of like where we're going," Snitker said. "This has been an unbelievable series. My God, both teams just banging at each other and the close games and the late-inning heroics. It's been something.

"It's been exhausting. ... I guess it's only fitting that we're going to be going out there in a winner-take-all-type atmosphere tomorrow [Wednesday]."

MINNEAPOLIS -- While the New York Yankees doused themselves with cheap drinks down the hall in the Target Field basement, the Minnesota Twins were left to wonder how 101 wins, 307 homers and so much summer fun could lead to such an abrupt autumn exit.

Minnesota's major league record streak of 16 straight postseason losses, with 13 of those defeats exacted by the Yankees, will gnaw at the franchise and the fan base for yet another year.

For the free agents to be, the 2019 regular season might well be the highlight of their time in Minnesota rather than the start of a dynastic run.

The players who return in 2020, even with their experience of October disappointment, will likely face the same questions next year about slaying the pinstriped dragon in the American League.

One bad weekend of baseball on the big stage, though, can't erase the consistency, resiliency and success displayed by the Twins as they won the AL Central division for the first time since 2010.

"So many memories. There was something special that happened pretty much every day," said catcher Mitch Garver, one of a record five players who topped 30 home runs. "We were crushing this league for a long time, and it just felt incredible.

"But that's all due to what these guys come in and do every day. They come in and put in the work, and we all stayed dedicated to our craft. We dealt with a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries, a lot of guys missing time, and it just seemed every day we found a new way to battle back and another guy stepped up. That's all you can ask of a team."

So while the Twins became the first 100-win team to be swept in a division series, they also were just the second 100-win team in Twins history. The major league record for the most home runs ever hit during a regular season will stay in Minnesota for at least a year.

Breakout performances by players like Garver, right fielder Max Kepler, shortstop Jorge Polanco, second baseman Luis Arraez and relief pitcher Tyler Duffey will serve as a foundation for next season that the Twins will surely start among the leading AL contenders.

"I'm going to take a lot out of this and learn a lot from what we just experienced," rookie manager Rocco Baldelli said. "I hope all of our players do, too. Hopefully, we're in this position again next year and again after that."

As quiet of an acquisition Nelson Cruz was at the time, the 39-year-old designated hitter gave the Twins one of the best bargains from last winter's market, which was dominated by the major-money signings of Manny Machado ($300 million) and Bryce Harper ($330 million).

Cruz, who out-homered both Machado and Harper, played for $14 million this season. And his $12 million option for 2020 is a sure bet to be exercised by the Twins.

Despite two stints on the injured list, Cruz became the third slugger in team history to reach the 40-homer mark after Harmon Killebrew (seven times) and Brian Dozier (once).

The emergence of Arraez, who batted .334 in 92 games with just 29 strikeouts after being called up in mid-May, has given the Twins additional flexibility for their roster maneuvering this winter with his ability to play left field as well as his natural spot at second base, where Jonathan Schoop will be a free agent.

Garver's success was well-timed, too, with fellow catcher Jason Castro on an expiring contract.

As for the rotation, the Twins can count on two-time All-Star Jose Berrios, who will enter his first year of salary arbitration eligibility, to lead the way. However, after that, they have holes to fill with Kyle Gibson, Jake Odorizzi and Michael Pineda about to become free agents.

The Twins have a $7.5 million option to bring back Martin Perez, but he was left off the postseason roster. Pineda's suspension for a banned diuretic will continue well into 2020, putting his return in doubt. Gibson faltered down the stretch. Odorizzi made the All-Star team, but his price tag might not be of interest to the front office.

"If I'm back, that'd be great. I've really taken a liking to here," Odorizzi said. "If not, I wish nothing but the best for everybody. These are great people top to bottom, so it's tough to end the year."

Relief pitching was a major question mark entering the season, and five members of the bullpen who appeared in more than 20 games this year were either left off the postseason roster or jettisoned much earlier.

Duffey stepped forward as a strikeout machine in the late innings, though, helping build a relatively sturdy bridge with Trevor May and trade-deadline acquisition Sergio Romo to closer Taylor Rogers.

The Twins' bullpen had a 4.17 ERA, which ranked 10th in the majors.