Phil Mickelson stood on the 18th tee in the last hole of the U.S. Open on Sunday evening with a one stroke lead. Before him laid a 460-yard par 4, one of the toughest on the punishing West Course at Winged Foot.
The mission was simple. If he could manage a par or better on this hole, then he would become the winner of the U.S. Open. On top of that, he would have become the second person to win three consecutive majors in the modern era and have a chance to complete the Mickelslam at Hoylake in July's British Open.
The Phil Mickelson that we have come to know over the past nine major championships — including this one — would have simply hit a 4-wood or 3-iron into the fairway. He then would have hit another mid-to-long iron into the hole and two putted for the win. We would all be clambering to see if Mickelson could shake off his ineptitude at the British Open and somehow pull out a win across the pond.
Apparently, though, that Phil Mickelson walked off the 71st hole of the championship and entered the missing persons program. The Phil that appeared on the 72nd hole, the Phil that cost himself the title, was the Phil Mickelson of old. You know that Phil. He's the 0-for-43, go-for-broke, and smile in defeat Phil Mickelson. That Phil hit a driver off the tee, swung way too hard with the lead, and then sent his tee shot square into the woods. When he could not get out in one shot, he decided that the second time would work. And then that was all she wrote.
It is ironic that Phil Mickelson's natural tendencies cost him the U.S. Open. He had become such a student of the majors, so disciplined in his approach, and seemed to have this majors things down to a science. He had figured out how to suppress the poisonous, irrational voices in his head and replaced them with words of confidence from his caddy Bones, his teacher Rick Smith, and his posse. He had listened to them for nearly the entire tournament and that positioned him to win.
That single lapse, though, is indicative of the incredibly tenuous hold that players have over their destinies in the U.S. Open. Any U.S. Open course, especially Winged Foot, can ruin a golfer with one single mistake. The USGA presents a test to the best golfers in the world that requires competent skill and impeccable decision making at every step of the way.
Phil Mickelson made a lot of mistakes on Sunday and throughout the week. He was weak off of the tee most of the week and was atrocious on Sunday. Yet, he was able to compensate most of the time with brilliant iron play and the innovative short game that is his trademark. If any other player in the field had played like Mickelson did off of the tee, they would have missed the cut and been embarrassed. Mickelson had the game, though, to stave off the handicap he imposed on himself and give himself a chance to win.
There are only so many times that you can pull the rabbit out of your hat before the rabbit chews his way out. Phil went to the hat one too many times and he probably did it believing that he would once again be able to pull off the same magic that was his trademark this week and through his career. That one mistake cost him more than he may even realize.
It was almost as though this entire U.S. Open was a fight between the old Phil and the new Phil. The new Phil managed to pick up after almost all of the messes that the old Phil seemed to keep making. In reality, we almost were witness to what it would have looked like if the old Phil were to win a major championship. What we take away from this (and already knew), and what Phil hopefully learns, is that the old Phil is really only good enough to take Mickelson so far — just shy of the apex.
For Phil to get back on track and continue his dominance in the majors, he needs to get back to the Mickelson that won the PGA and Masters. He needs to return to the Phil that is strong enough to overcome those lapses in judgment that are bound to happen. After all, a man can only resist his urges for so long. It just happened that Phil could not fight the urge when he most needed to on Sunday at Winged Foot.
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