Mickelson’s ‘moment of madness’ at US Open

SOUTHAMPTON (United States): Phil Mickelson insisted he meant no disrespect when he opted to putt a moving ball in the third round of the US Open — swallowing a sextuple bogey at the 13th hole.

Mickelson’s bogey putt at Shinnecock Hills’ par-four 13th skated past the cup and was heading down a slope when he trotted after it and batted it back toward the hole with his putter.

He needed eight strokes to get the ball in the hole and with a two-stroke penalty walked off with a sextuple bogey 10 on the way to his highest ever round in 27 US Open appearances of 11over 81.

Playing partner Andrew Johnston called it “a moment of madness.”

But Mickelson said the incident wasn’t a childish display of frustration from a five-time major champion celebrating his 48th birthday.

Instead, he said, he decided the two-stroke penalty he knew he would receive would be preferable to letting the ball escape off the green.

“Look, I don’t mean disrespect to anybody,” he said.

“I know it’s a two-shot penalty. At that time, I just didn’t feel like going back and forth and hitting the same shot over.

“I would gladly take the two shots over continuing that display.”

It’s another chapter in the saga of Mickelson at the US Open — the only major tournament missing from Mickelson’s resume and one in which he’s finished runner-up six times.

John Bodenhamer of the US Golf Association said Mickelson was penalised two strokes for violating rule 14-5 by “making a stroke at a moving ball.”

Bodenhamer said USGA rules officials “quickly” decided that Mickelson’s action was covered by that rule, and said the committee did not consider Mickelson’s actions to be covered by the rule stating “a player must not take an action with the intent to influence the movement of a ball in play” — which can result in disqualification.

Mickelson’s day had been a slog until the 13th, with five bogeys following his lone birdie at the fourth hole. He added one more bogey at the 17th and had a 17-over par total of 227.

The affair recalled a similar incident at the 1999 US Open at Pinehurst, where a frustrated John Daly hit a moving ball in the final round.

But Daly was famed for his erratic behavior, while Mickelson has cultivated a good-guy image for nearly 30 years.