This week's winners and losers from the golf world

The 2017-18 PGA Tour season got underway this week in Napa, Calif., while across the pond the European Tour held the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

Here are this week's winners and losers from the golf world.

Winners:

Matthew Southgate

Just two weeks ago, Southgate found himself in the 'losers' category below, after incurring a three shot penalty at the Web.com Tour's DAP Championship. The unfortunate break would eventually cost the Englishman a PGA Tour card for the 2017-18 season, but he took full responsibility for the mistake in Ohio this week. "It was poor form of me not to know the rules of the game I've been playing since I was two. I take full responsibility," Southgate told The Telegraph. "People say it's bad luck, but it's not bad luck, because I should have replayed the shot and I could have made 4. But I didn't, and it became 9, and that became me missing my card. I've got only myself to blame. I'm not annoyed with anyone else."

Ross Fisher

There have been a lot of professional rounds played at the Old Course at St. Andrews, but only one man can lay claim to the lowest score. Ross Fisher made eleven birdies and no bogeys in the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, posting a 61 for the course record. Fisher's score could've been one shot better, but he failed to birdie the short 357-yard par-4 18th hole, when he three-putted for par.

John Daly

After his opening round Thursday at the Safeway Open, Daly paid tribute to the late Tom Petty, joining Gavin DeGraw on stage with a rendition of "I Won't Back Down." On Friday, the two-time major champion birdied two of his final five holes to make the cut at Silverado Resort & Spa. It was his first 36-hole cut made since 2015, when he finished in a tie for 10th at the Puerto Rico Open.

Losers:

Phil Mickelson's tee game

Erratic would be an understatement in describing Mickelson's driving accuracy at the Safeway Open this week. The 47-year-old could've ended a four-year winless drought if he simply found more fairways off the tee. Mickelson missed the fairway with drivers and irons, putting pressure on his recovery game for 72 holes. The five-time major champion hit only 26.8% of the fairways, tying him for last in the field.

PGA Tour offseason

The problem with the PGA Tour offseason is there isn't one. Three days after the U.S. clinched the Presidents Cup at Liberty National, the 2017-18 campaign kicked off in Napa, Calif., with the Safeway Open. Just seven players inside the top 50 were in the field, with 47-year-old Phil Mickelson the highest ranked at No. 30. The Web.com Tour wrapped up with a Monday finish, giving those who earned their cards only two days to prepare for their opening round.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)