Phil admits truth behind Open gaffe

Four days after Phil Mickelson’s stunning meltdown on the 13th hole during his U.S. Open third round at Shinnecock Hills — and following some soul-searching, Mickelson said he’s “sorry” for what happened.

“I know this should have come sooner, but it’s taken me a few days to calm down,” Mickelson told The Post in a text Wednesday. “My anger and frustration got the best of me last weekend. I’m embarrassed and disappointed in my actions. It was clearly not my finest moment and I’m sorry.”

The incident took place Saturday afternoon, when Mickelson was frustrated by the unplayable nature of the pin position on the 13th green and his 18-foot bogey putt rolled past the cup and began to head off the green. He ran after the ball, which was still moving, and hit it again back toward the hole.

Mickelson was assessed a two-shot penalty for his action and took a 10 on the par-4 to shoot his way further out of contention with an 81.

Mickelson, who is seeking a U.S. Open title to become the sixth player in the history of golf to complete a career Grand Slam, has finished runner-up in the event six times, including four times in New York (at Shinnecock in 2004, Winged Foot in 2006 and Bethpage Black in 2002 and 2009).

In the fallout from the incident, Mickelson seemed to add gasoline to a burning tire fire when, instead of articulating that the mounting frustration simply got to him — as he did Wednesday — he told reporters following his third round that he knew what he was doing and was taking advantage of the rules.

“Look, I don’t mean disrespect to anybody,” Mickelson said Saturday, after the incident. “I know it’s a two-shot penalty. At that time, I just didn’t feel like going back and forth and hitting the shot over. I took the two-shot penalty and moved on. It’s my understanding of the rules. I’ve had multiple times when I’ve wanted to do that. I just finally did.”