Mickelson silences doubters
IF THERE had been any lingering doubts about Phil Mickelson being given a captain’s pick for the Presidents Cup, he blew them away with a mesmerising display yesterday.
IF THERE had been any lingering doubts about Phil Mickelson being given a captain’s pick for the Presidents Cup, he blew them away with a mesmerising display yesterday.
Mickelson was plucked from 30th on the US qualifying list by captain Jay Haas and justified his selection in typical style with a flawless display of golf as the Americans took a 4-1 lead after the first day’s foursomes against the International team.
The veteran 45-year-old Mickelson has played in all 10 previous editions of the Presidents Cup and the last 10 Ryder Cups. Despite a stuttering season on the PGA Tour, there is something about team play that fires him up, said playing partner Zach Johnson, who agreed that “Lefty” had his mojo back.
“I played a couple of practice rounds with him and I could see it,” Johnson said after the pair defeated the Australian duo of US PGA champion Jason Day and Steven Bowditch on the final green at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea.
“With talent like that and he’s got a driver he feels comfortable with, it’s pretty scary. I can’t think of a tee shot he missed all day. Maybe there was one. Maybe,” Johnson said.
The highlight of the day was Mickelson holing a 45-foot trademark bunker blast for a birdie at the 13th after a rare wayward approach from the British Open champion Johnson.
“He hit exactly the shot he was talking about,” said Johnson. “I don’t want to say he’s the best, but he’s as good as I’ve ever seen when it comes to wedges around the green and specifically out of the sand traps. Just awesome. What do you say when someone does that? He just gave me a handshake and said, ‘wow’.”
US captain Jay Haas said he was really happy for the five-time Major winner Mickelson, who has not won since the 2013 British Open two years ago.
“I was just real proud of him. I told him so,” said Haas. “He’s dealt with pressure before, obviously, in many situations. Being a pick this time probably added to it a little bit.” With a slender one-hole lead on 18 and Jason Day already safely in the fairway, Mickelson capped a stirring performance by launching a 350-yard drive down the par-five to leave Johnson just 186 yards from the pin.
“I thought Phil’s drive at 18 was a big statement for him,” said Haas.
“I thought they played extremely well. To beat that team was quite an accomplishment,” he added.
Meanwhile, International team captain Nick Price has shuffled his pack hoping to get “something to click” .
Haas opted to first put out the big guns, world No 1 Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson, and Price countered with his lone day one winners Branden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen.
After that it’s all change for the International team as Price chose to field two all-Australian teams of Adam Scott/ Jason Day and Marc Leishman/Steven Bowditch to try to turn the match around. They will take on Zach Johnson/ Mickelson and JB Holmes/Bubba Watson respectively.
Charl Schwartzel has been ill all week with flu but is fit enough to appear alongside Thongchai Jaidee against the two Americans who sat out yesterday, Chris Kirk and Bill Haas.
Price said with 25 points still to play for over the next three days the mood was good in the camp, but they needed to turn things around today. “It’s still pretty much guesswork,” he said of the pairings in a team that contains five players on debut. “You go and talk to the guys, but you want something to click.
“We had a good chat in the team room and I think the guys have got the idea now. The first day blues or shock is over.” Price was clearly pleased to have former Masters champion Schwartzel back in the reckoning.