Vail Phil Mickelson

[forum]

Let me start by saying - I like the guy. I like his shot making ability. I like his warm & honest nature. I like his resolve. I like watching him play.

All of that said, I think Phil is on the slide. He won the US Masters earlier in the year but after that he didn't set the world on fire. He had the opportunity to take No. 1 whilst Tiger was in melt down. Nope. That didn't happen. Along comes Lee Westwood. Now Tiger has pushed Phil out of No. 2 spot. Then there's GMac & Kaymer who've shown they're very interested in the top ranking. I haven't seen anything from Phil indicating "Hey, back in your box boys".

Will 2011 be the year of the "Mickel-slide"? I think so.

i dont think he is on the slide i think the ball has not been bouncing his way golf is a game of fluke and flukey shots come around once in a while

 

[Augster]

I think he's done practicing hard on his game. If that forces a slide, such is life.

I think he'll still do his best to peak for majors. That is the only thing that will make a difference in his career now. How many majors he ends up with. He's never going to pass Snead or Woods for most wins. But if he could pass Faldo for majors, I'm sure that'd make him feel great about himself. He gets to play Augusta for the rest of his life, so a couple more majors isn't that big a stretch.

He played this week in Abu Dhabi. Made 13,000 Euro. Plus the 500,000 Euro appearance fee. He beat Oosthuizen and Westwood. Kaymer picked up the winner's check of 334,000 Euro, so a pretty lucrative week for Phil.

I think he'll play around the world for the next couple of years, collecting huge fees wherever he can, then settle into being at home a lot more to be with the kids as they grow, and get ready for the majors.

Not a bad life all in all.

 

[TheTrueReview]

Correction to earlier post. Mickelson is No. 6 in the world. Stricker is No. 5.

World Golf Rankings

 

[fisher]

I think the biggest thing holding Phil back is his lack of commitment to fitness. Its catching up with him now.

 

[Rockford35]

I think the biggest thing holding Phil back is his lack of commitment to fitness. Its catching up with him now.

If Mickelson couldn't chip, he wouldn't be on Tour. It's not the fitness holding him back.

R35

 

[Augster]

If Mickelson couldn't chip, he wouldn't be on Tour. It's not the fitness holding him back.

R35

I absolutely agree.

I thought by working with Butch he'd get a lot more consistent. Especially with the driver which is his biggest flaw IMO.

Case in point, his "biggest shot" last year was from the woodchips in the trees at Augusta. It wasn't his iron play that put him there. He's not going to escape all the time.

I believe Tiger and Phil would still be 1-2 in the ratings if all they ever hit was 3-wood off the tee. They can both move the 3-wood out there 300+ if they need to and are WAY more accurate with it.

 

[nututhugame]

Yep, Phil is so done.

 

[IrishGolfer]

I think PM still has 2 Majors left in him. Was unlucky yesterday, came up against a phenom. Great effort at last with his 80 yard pitch. Under the gun, he almost holed it. Fantastic to watch!

 

[TheTrueReview]

... PM ... Was unlucky yesterday, came up against a phenom. Great effort at last with his 80 yard pitch. Under the gun, he almost holed it. Fantastic to watch!

Certainly was. I read that because Paul Casey won in Bahrain, if Phil hadn't come in the top 3 at Torrey Pines, Phil would've dropped a world ranking point & Casey would've jumped him. Kudos to Phil. Best effort in a long time.

 

[TheTrueReview]

Way back in 2011 I called Lefty's demise. I was a tad premature. He did slide but it was slower than predicted and he appears to be rebounding.

After starting 2018 at #46, in the last 5 events from (and including) the CareerBuilder Challenge he's risen to 32nd in the world. Lefty has a message for doubting Thomases.

 

[TEA Time]

Yep, Phil is so done.

a) lol
b) what ever happened to nut?

 

[Fairwaysplitter3320]

a) lol
b) what ever happened to nut?

I believe he started working out hard and didn’t have time for the forum. IIRC it was around the time his father passed away.

 

[Libre]

He's hung around rather well. Incredible longevity, still playing on the regular tour for so long - and in the top 50 and better. Think of how many others have come and gone, while he's consistently been at or near the top.

But his bizarre behavior at the 2018 US Open, third round, 13th hole will not be forgotten. I saw him do it live - well, on TV that is.
I assume everybody is aware that he intentionally swatted his ball while moving - about to roll off the green.
My thought at the time was, ok, he's done. This is his way of withdrawing from the tourney, because he couldn't POSSIBLY continue playing at this point.
But he not only continued, he acted as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, he just swatted his moving ball - OK? What's the big deal. This is a gentleman's game, as he smiled and moved on to the 14th, with nary a shrug of the shoulders.

DQ was the minimum penalty. 2 strokes was hilarious. It didn't penalize him, it rewarded him. So now you can swat your ball at the hole when you miss a putt, if it's going to wind up in trouble?

The other pros were pissed and so would I be. Anyone that finished tied with him or further back all have a legit gripe and Phil will be in for some cold shoulders, I'd expect. In other sports, you get ejected and usually fined and/or suspended for a breach so flamboyant. And his pitiful statements right after - which was his ONE chance to be decent and regain a modicum of respect and even a little sympathy, were TOTALLY unacceptable and added to the outrage. Had he owned up and admitted he lost it out there, and that he was a moron and an idiot of the highest order, and tearfully and regretfully withdrew, he might have walked off relatively unscathed. Now it's too late but he should still make a much more meaningful and correct statement - that he was totally wrong and you don't play golf that way period.

The reason it's sooooooo bad is because we've all done it or wanted to do it. But usually I stop myself if I'm having a decent round because that spoils the round. I only do something like that when I've given up on the round.

It's not murder. Nobody died. It's golf. It's not warfare. But it's dear to us and to see the spirit of it sullied like that by a golfing great is most distressing.

 

[Wi-Golfer]

It was within the rules, so I don't care.

 

[JEFF4i]

It wasn't within the rules. It was a serious breach of him influencing a ball in play. It wasn't incidental. It was deliberate. The USGA is wrong here. He should have been DQed. Period.