Mickelson waits on Ryder Cup pick

If there was any doubt that Phil Mickelson wasn’t going to receive a Ryder Cup captain’s pick from U.S. captain Jim Furyk on Tuesday, Mickelson erased it with a closing 8-under-par 63 Monday in the Dell Technologies Championship.

Mickelson made nine birdies, including six on his front nine, to vault up the leaderboard at TPC Boston. At 10 under, Mickelson tied for 12th, six shots behind winner Bryson DeChambeau.

“It’s fun to play like that,” said Mickelson, who hit 11 and nine fairways, respectively, in Rounds 3 and 4. “It’s fun to shoot the number that I feel like I’ve been capable of.”

The 48-year-old, who is hoping to play in his 12th Ryder Cup this month in Paris, has never needed a captain’s pick, having automatically qualified in each of his first 11 appearances in the biennial team matches. He will likely be one of three names, presumably along with Tiger Woods and DeChambeau, announced at 5 p.m. ET on Golf Channel.

“Hopefully, (Monday’s round) will make it a lot easier for him,” Mickelson said. “I’d love to be on that team.”

Mickelson, ranked 24th in the Official World Golf Ranking, is enjoying a strong season. He won the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship in March and has posted five other top-six finishes this season. However, he hadn’t cracked the top 10 in 10 starts entering the Dell Technologies Championship and had recently missed the cut in the PGA Championship.

In his 11 Ryder Cup appearances, Mickelson sports an 18-20-7 record. He has been a part of three winning U.S. teams.