USA TODAY International Edition
Mickelson loses his cool
Putting blunder ends with penalty
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – Call it a Mick-meltdown.
Phil Mickelson’s adventure on the 13th hole at Shinnecock Hills in the third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday will go down as one of the odder moments of his Hall of Fame career.
The six-time U.S. Open runner-up jogged after his ball after missing a putt on the 13th green and struck it before it stopped moving — incurring a twostroke penalty under Rule 14-5 for hitting a ball in motion — and walked off the hole with a sextuple-bogey 10.
He shot an 11-over 81. On his 48th birthday, no less.
His approach on the 366-yard hole went long and right, and his ensuing chip rolled past the pin and off the green. He then chipped 18 feet past the hole. His first putt missed on the right side and kept going. Mickelson saw that his ball was going to crest a ridge and likely roll off the green again, so he jogged after it and stroked it while it was still moving.
That putt hit the lip and finished some 5 feet past the hole. Mickelson’s next putt missed and he tapped in for a 10 — eight strokes, including four putts, plus the two-shot penalty.
Mickelson said he was not trying to make a point about the course setup or the speed of the greens and added that he meant no disrespect to the game, his competitors or the United States Golf Association.
“Look, I don’t mean disrespect to anybody,” he said. “I know it’s a twoshot 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.”
Mickelson said there was “no question” that his ball was going to roll off the green and possibly wind up behind a bunker.
“I wasn’t going to have a shot,” he said. “I don’t know if I was able to save a shot or not.”
Mickelson shared a laugh with playing partner Andrew “Beef” Johnston as they walked off the green. Johnston said he wasn’t offended by Mickelson’s actions.
“I looked at him, and it was like, ‘Is this actually happening?’ ” Johnston said.
“I said to him, ‘Sorry, but I can’t help laughing. It’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.’ I said to him, ‘I’ve never seen anything like that,’ and we just laughed. He didn’t really say much.”
John Bodenhamer, senior managing director of championships and governance for the USGA, said Mickelson was informed of the penalty and accepted it.
“One of the rules officials informed him of our decision, informed him that it was a two-stroke penalty, and he said, ‘Thank you,’ and moved ahead with his round,” Bodenhamer said.