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 Phil Mickelson was in position to win his first U.S. Open at Bethpage Black but faltered down the stretch during Monday's final round. (Copyright USGA Museum/Michael Cohen) With the state of New York at his side, the San Diegan thrilled galleries for four days at Bethpage Black and positioned himself to win his first Open during Monday’s final round. But a balky putter sealed Mickelson’s fate. A pair of botched par putts on the 15th and 17th greens nullified a dramatic eagle on the par-5 13th that had vaulted Lefty into a tie for the lead with Lucas Glover at four-under par. Glover capitalized, winning with a four-under total, two better than Mickelson. “I put myself in a great position to close it out, but unfortunately didn’t finish it off. I’m disappointed,” said Mickelson, who now has a record five runner-up finishes at the national championship. That didn’t resemble the “I’m such an idiot” response from the world’s No. 2 player, who famously uttered those words after he lost the lead on the 72nd hole of the 2006 U.S. Open after a blocked drive and a subsequent double-bogey. It was inspiring that Mickelson was in contention in the first place. His wife, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer in May and is slated to begin treatment this month. She and the couple’s four children usually travel to dad’s tournaments, but their absence at the Open was a sad reminder of the family’s ordeal. Mickelson, a three-time major champion, is wise enough to understand that any victory on the course pales in comparison to his wife’s health and family’s well-being. The fact that he even decided to re-enter competition prior to Amy’s treatment took a lot of courage. But it’s so disappointing to see a golfer of Mickelson’s caliber again let another chance at glory slip away. Nothing can be taken away from Glover, who played well early in a tournament made chaotic by rain and held on at the end, but, as has been the case many times, the Open was right there for Mickelson to grab — and he didn’t. “Now that it’s over, I’ve got more important things going on,” he said “Oh well.” Orange native Hunter Mahan didn’t share quite the same experience as Mickelson, but Mahan’s result also was disappointing. Widely regarded as one of the most talented young players in the world, Mahan often is a trendy pick to contend at big events because of his solid ballstriking — especially with the driver — and stellar amateur record. The 27-year-old had 11 birdies during the second and third rounds, shooting 68 each time to start the final round tied for fifth with Mickelson. A one-under mark through six holes had him alone in third place, but after that, Mahan made four bogeys and only one birdie to finished tied for sixth at even. He remains a tremendous talent and likely will have other chances to contend in majors, but with only one PGA Tour win on his résumé to this point, he needs to start capitalizing on his opportunities or else face a what-could-have-been type of career. Other thoughts on Southland performers at the U.S. Open: —Talk about what could have been: For Cypress native Tiger Woods, a few first-round blunders proved to be too much to overcome. Still, a sixth-place finish isn’t bad, and he was the only player in the field to shoot under par each time in the second, third and fourth rounds. —Welcome back to the fold: Los Angeles native Anthony Kim enjoyed one of his most consistent major weeks ever, finishing at three-over par and tied for 16th. Hopefully that’s what he needed to get on track after a disappointing first six months of ’09. —Promising performance: A final-round 78 likely doesn’t sit well with Long Beach’s John Mallinger, but a three-over-par total for the first three rounds is a step in the right direction, as is a tie for 45th, his best result in a major. Eli Miller is the managing editor of Southland Golf. Reach him at emiller@churmmedia.com. |
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RSS SubscribeReaders Feedback:
Ah, the world as seen through a Tiger prism!
The left handed trooper was a disappointing runner up, yet Tiger's sixth place finish is being parsed for symbols of greatness. Eldrick was the one who failed to respond at this year's Open, not Phil.
To #1's credit, he didn't bother complaining about his early Thursday tee time: his tournament fate was sealed in the rains of Bethpage.
| Comment at 6/26/2009 |
