Jul 16, 2016
Lefty loving the links at Royal Troon
Playing well at The Open Championship is not something all that familiar to Phil Mickelson. He was never considered a threat to win but as Bob Weeks writes, the American is in a great position to make a run for his second Open title.
By Bob Weeks
There were no more almost-62s in the arsenal, but Phil Mickelson was pretty happy with his round of 69 at The Open Championship. And why not? The round came under wet and blustery conditions that made the Royal Troon golf links play a little bit more as a Scottish course should.
“I thought it was a good round to back up the low round yesterday,” said Mickelson. “I played a kind of stress-free golf again. I made one or two bad swings that led to bogeys, but for the most part, kept the ball in play and played kind of stress-free.”
Lefty started in relatively calm conditions but by the time he reached the famed Postage Stamp eighth hole, the rain started. For some reason, he decided not to put up the umbrella and played along while getting drenched, with caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay wiping him down with a towel every now and then.
He did don two gloves - a standard practice for him in the rain - and also used a binder clip to keep his hat on.
“I know it looks terrible, but it is what it is,” he smiled afterwards when asked why he had office supplies on his head.
The round wasn’t flawless. Mickelson finally suffered a bogey after playing a total of 84 holes at Royal Troon. That mark dates back to the 2004 Open here when he went 66-68-68 over the final three rounds.
And his three shot lead is now down to just one, with Swede Henrik Stenson logging a fine 65 to sit at nine-under par.
But clearly, he was able to back up his sterling showing of Thursday with some excellent play once again. Even Thursday’s agonizing miss on the final hole that would have put him in the record books was finally explained, after he viewed the highlights.
Turns out, it wasn’t the golf gods after all.
“It finally made sense,” he proclaimed. “It looked like three or four inches short of the hole it hit something and kicked it dead right. I couldn’t figure out how it missed. Obviously it hit something, so it happens, unfortunately.”
Mickelson is leading a charge of 40somethings that are up at the top of the leaderboard. Along with the 46-year-old are Stenson (40), Dane Soren Kjeldsen (41), who is at seven under, and defending champ Zach Johnson (40) who sits five back of the lead.
“The fact is from 10 years ago,” explained Mickelson, who would be the oldest winner of this tournament in 150 years, “when I was playing my best golf, I’m 25 pounds lighter, I’m in better shape, I’m physically stronger than I was. I feel better and I’m playing, now that my swing is back on plane, I’m starting to hit some shots like I did 10 years ago and starting to play some of my best golf again.”
Playing well in The Open is not something all that familiar to Mickelson. In his first 19 appearances here, he managed only two top-10 finishes, the first of those coming at Troon in 2004.
He was never considered a threat to win on this side of the pond, his game ill-suited to the demands of a different type of golf.
It’s here, he said, that he learned that links golf requires a different style of play, a different touch.
“This is where it really kind of turned for me,” he stated. “This is where it kind of happened. This is where I stopped trying to overpower the golf course where I kind of accepted playing it as it’s designed, if you will, and not trying to find a new, better way to beat the course other than just straightforward golf. That’s probably why I love it so much.”
Right now the course is loving him too. He’s in a great position to make a run for his second Open title. Not too bad for an old guy.