The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
3. Mickelson’s streak hits 23
Mickelson, Hoffman are captain’s picks for Presidents Cup.
Phil Mickelson was selected as a captain pick for the second straight Presidents Cup, extending a remarkable streak of playing on 23 consecutive U.S. teams. Mickelson has not missed a Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup since 1994.
selectedfor PresidentsPhil the Mickelsonsecondas a Cup, captain straightextend- waspick ing a remarkable streak of playing on 23 consecutive national teams.
Anirban Lahiri of India will play for the second time, and it might be just as meaningful.
U.S. captain Steve Stricker used his two picks Wednesday on Mickelson and Charley Hoffman, who finished a fraction of a point out of the top 10 automatic qualifiers in the final week. It will be the first team competition for the 40-year-old Hoffman.
Mickelson was in danger of missing his first Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup since 1993. He hasn’t won a tournament since 2013, and he hasn’t seriously contended this year while finishing 15th in the standings. Stricker had said he wanted the five-time major champion to show him something, and the 47-year-old Mickelson delivered at TPC Boston with all four rounds in the 60s to tie for sixth.
“I’ve been talking to him quite frequently, and he said it was just a matter of time,” Stricker said. “He waited all the way till the end, but had a great showing at the Dell Technologies Championship last week. I got reports from the other players that it was the Phil of old.”
International captain Nick Price took Emiliano Grillo, who finished 11th in the standings. The surprise was his choiceof Lahiri over Hideto Tanihara of Japan
Price, however, said he wanted experience on a team with four newcomers, and he wanted players to compete primarily on the PGA Tour. And with Lahiri, this Presidents Cup becomes more personal.
The International team was on the verge of winning for the first time since 1998 when Lahiri had a 4-foot birdie putt on the last hole. Chris Kirk made a 15-foot birdie putt, and Lahiri’s putt to halve the catch caught the right lip and spun out. He dropped his putter and staredhandat goingsaid. someI’m Now, “Thatit. motivated “Obviously,Icovering unfinishedto in he experiencehelp disbeliefgets to anotherme,”his go feel business.out mouth.withis there’s Lahiri really crackthere his and butionat The Libertymake matchesto the a National positive team.”start Sept.in contri- New 28 Jersey, a corporateStricker where said membership.Mickelson choosinghas Hoffmanhe hasn’t was won easy. this While year, Hoffman went into the back nine of two majors (Masters, U.S. Open) with a chance to win, along with a World Golf Championship in Ohio. He was in the top 10 until Monday at the TPC Boston, when Kevin Chappell moved ahead of him by 0.073 points.
Mickelson was No. 30 in the standings two years ago when he was a captain’s pick. This time, he was at No. 15, but there was not a sense that Stricker took him over another player more deserving because no one around Mickelson in the standings had stood out over the last few months.
“What means a lot this year is the players and captains wanted me on the team,” Mickelson said.