USA TODAY International Edition
Mickelson feeling momentum swing
‘Lefty’ happy with game heading to Pebble Beach
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Phil Mickelson bounded off TPC Scottsdale’s 18th green after the third round of last weekend’s Waste Management Phoenix Open as if he were 20 years younger.
After spending a sun-splashed day in front of a Saturday-record 216,818, the majority intoxicated by their adulation for Lefty, two closing birdies had him signing for a 66 and scheduling a date with contention in the final round.
Phil was doing Phil things again, even at age 47, and forever the optimist, he was talking a good game again in his post-round news conference. After two dull starts to the year, Mickelson was feeding off massive galleries, flashing big smiles and thumbs-up signs and again saying he was finding something in his swing that would lead to an end of a winless drought of five years.
And then he got off to flat start in the final round and his mojo was absent. But just when he was nearly out of it, boom. With birdies on the 15th, 16th and 17th holes, he had the crowds in a frenzy and the leaderboard lighting up. While he needed a hole-out eagle on the last one to make a playoff, he didn’t give himself much of a chance when he drove it into a church pew of high grass and made a miserable double bogey, sending him into a tie for fifth place.
And that has been Mickelson’s M.O. as of late — flashes of brilliance, clouds of mediocre play and lost opportunities.
But this time, his dejection didn’t last long. Positives for the week smothered negatives, and he felt the heat of Sunday competition. Furthermore, Mickelson’s travel itinerary was booked for one of his favorite places on earth — this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
“I had a great time coming down the stretch,” Mickelson said. “This shouldn’t just be a one-week deal. I should be getting better and better as the weeks go on. I think (my game’s) gotten better each week so far this year, and (Pebble Beach) is a collection of courses I really like. I’ve played well on them in the past, and I’m hoping to build on this week’s performance. “There’s no reason why I shouldn’t.” History agrees. Mickelson has won four times at Bing Crosby’s former clambake, including his last in 2012 when he stormed back from six shots in the final round and in the process whipped playing partner Tiger Woods. Mickelson also finished runner-up by a stroke in 2016 and has recorded four other top-10 finishes in 20 starts.
While this spectacular setting always gets Mickelson’s juices flowing, his work of late with the driver has him feeling much better. Earlier this year he told reporters that he’d take a great step forward if he was just an average driver of the ball and less dependent on his still superb iron play. But slowly, one tournament at a time, he’s cutting down on his wild misses off the tee while still maintaining his considerable power.
“I’ll keep working on it, but there’s no reason why it shouldn’t just get better and better the more comfortable I get with it,” he said. “From a technical standpoint it’s where I want it to be, but it’s very easy for negative thoughts to creep in when I’ve driven it poorly for so many years. But if I can start to control my thoughts, I think I’ll drive the ball really well this year . ...
“I’ve driven it very average, which is great for me. … I worked hard in the offseason and I’ll never be a great driver of the ball, but if I can be average that would be awesome.”