Phil wins!

Anybody feel better about Mr. Mickelson today?

No. Phil is the adventurer of golf. A win doesn't change anything for him, and I'll bet it doesn't mean any more to him than it does to me.

Is the name of the tournament he won still the Sammy Davis Junior Greater Hartford Open? Or the Insurance City Open? Or the Canon Greater Hartford Open? I can never remember. Just like that one in Georgia in April, what is it? The Mentors? The Members? The Weiser Lock Azalea Presented By Arthur Anderson? What's it called? Or that one over in England with all your gorse and heather and stuff? Unfortunately for Phil, he has to win a major. Even a back-in, handed-to-him victory in the PGA in a big heap over Kirk Triplett and Billy Andrade. Anything. But until then, WGAF? I hope Phil can do it. I am not holding my breath though.

The Weiser Lock Azalea Presented By Arthur Anderson?


In this tournament, players get an additional stroke penalty for calling an infraction against themselves, and DQ'd for signing a correct scorecard.

Vijay should win then. Hehehe. (I know, the suspension was all a misunderstanding long long ago.)

.. it ain't a major, nor no longer a first-tier event[arguably], despite a fairly strong field. The people yelling "Tiger who?" after the eagle were on RGP crank.


A 64 on Sunday is nothing to sneeze at, though, nor is 20+ career wins. He's clearly #2, no doubt. The key for him will be that major where Tiger's out of it, and Phil's near the top Sunday morning. Won't happen this year[Slam], and based on the '99 US Open.....


However, in all fairness, Payne Stewart is/was likely one of the top 5-7 US Open-style course players of all time. No shame losing to him there. Janzen got lucky both times.

The man has talent to spare but he is not committed. Yeah, he says all the right things but it's a charade...he just doesn't seem to have the heart or desire or whatever to go the extra mile that it takes to compete today. Thirty years ago, when Jack was fat and Arnold smoked heavily, maybe. But not in 2002.


Remember when he went toe-to-toe with Payne three years ago in the Open? His wife was hugely pregnant at the time, and labor was imminent. Phil made it clear that he would withdraw the second she went into labor, even if he had to forfeit the tournament.


Admirable, perhaps, BUT CAN YOU SEE TIGER DOING THIS? If EARL was in labor Tiger would still be striding down the course, with the game-face on.


For God's sake, if Michelson is truely interested in WINNING a major, he could start by toning up, by hitting the gym and pushing some weight. As it is now, he doesn't even push himself away from the dinner table. (like Bill Simmon aka The Sports Guy says: Phil responded to Tiger's challenge of the past 3 years by growing breasts.) And drop the hayseed-from-Hooterville, aw-shucks grin when he is down by 2 with 3 to play and misses a makeable birdie putt. Get mad. Get REALLY pissed off. Swear. Do anything but grin. (Need help? Watch the tape from the 2000 US Open, when Tiger's drive hooked out into the Pacific. You will learn a few words Amy won't want used around the house.)


Look, he seems like a really great guy, is obviously a devoted father and husband, and I, like almost everyone else, root for him to finally win a major. But unless he helps himself, he may never get a big one.


A9

I don't see how a man who has won 20+ tournaments (more than Tom Kite, more than Nick Price, more than [I think] Gary Player, isn't "committed." You don't just walk out there, pick up the clubs and win. Nicklaus never came close to working as hard on his chipping and pitching as Phil obviously has. And maybe that "drop the hayseed-from-Hooterville, aw-shucks grin" is his natural demeanor.


I agree with your (very funny) comment about Tiger continuing to play with Earl in labor. Which makes Phil a much more admirable person, in my mind. I think he's bound to win a major because he simply plays better than anyone else, except for one guy. And the odds are he'll beat that one guy one weekend. I predict it's the PGA this year.

He could have three-putted the last hole like he did on the eighth (from 6 feet). Did you see the look on his face when that last putt went in? I don't know if he or I was more surprised. The first thing I thought when it went in was "Aw Sh*t, Andy Fox gets the last word".


He did come back from a long way. Good job, but there has to be an easier way.


Tom D