Phil being Phil: Mickelson hits 78-yard putt and lays up on a par 3
Phil Mickelson made some strange decisions during the final round of the Memorial. Why? Well we’ll let him explain that
Well, you know what they say. “If you’ve got the choice between a chip and a putt, putt.” But not that many expected Phil Mickelson, one of the world’s finest around the greens, to take the advice generally aimed at us mere hackers.
Mickelson, well out of contention at the Memorial – won by new World No 1 Jon Rahm – and largely going through the motions during the final round at Muirfield Village, bombed a drive down the middle of the 460-yard par-4 13th. Then, with 78 yards to the pin, asked his caddie-slash-brother Tim for his flatstick…
Solid par.
So why did he do it? Speaking after his 6-over 76, he explained: “The fairway prior to the green was pitched more severely right to left, and if I used that slope it was going to angle and get the ball working over to the left pin and possibly get close, whereas if I hit a wedge shot and flew it on to the front edge or just short, it wasn’t using that extra pitch or contour to get the ball over to the left.
“I would have had to settle for a good shot being 12 or 15 right of the hole. I didn’t hit it hard enough, but if I had hit that hard enough or the right speed, I think that ball could have gotten close to the hole to a tap-in, whereas a wedge I didn’t see that being possible.”
Simple, really.
And it wasn’t Phil the Thrill’s only interesting moment on Sunday at Jack’s place.
He laid up on the 173-yard par-3 16th…
And earlier in the day he got a bit of free advertising in for his favourite coffee cup brand…
Never a dull ride when Phil Mickelson is involved.
- More from Phil: Mickelson reacts to DeChambeau drive
- More from Phil: I’ll join the senior tour when I stop hitting ‘crazy bombs’
- More from Phil: What’s in his bag for 2020
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Alex Perry
Alex has been the editor of National Club Golfer since 2017. A Devonian who enjoys wittering on about his south west roots, Alex moved north to join NCG after more than a decade in London, the last five of which were with ESPN. Away from golf, Alex follows Torquay United and spends too much time playing his PlayStation or his guitar and not enough time practising his short game.
