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As complex as Phil Mickelson might be as a person, his personality on the golf course is pretty evident. Mickelson has been one of the top players in the world for several years, winning 27 events in his professional career that began in 1992, and he has evolved into a major championship contender with his work during the offseason and a new philosophy. Rick Smith has been Mickelson’s longtime swing coach, and short-game guru Dave Pelz has worked with the left-hander on his short game. The move appears to have paid off. Mickelson had a solid short game before Pelz, but it has gotten better since working with him two years ago. “Specifically we worked from 140 yards in,” Mickel-son said two years ago about his relationship with Pelz. “During the off-season I did not hit any golf balls. I spent all my time chipping and putting. My short game really slid because I didn’t spend any time working on it. I was so worried about mechanics and trying to get the golf swing down because I was hitting it so poorly that my short game slid as well.” It wasn’t a coincidence Mickelson won his first major championship that year, the 2004 Masters. He played well tee to green and won the event with a dramatic putt on the final hole. Though he was elated at his first major championship, he was surprised it didn’t come sooner. For years Mickelson was labeled Best Player Never to Win a Major and it was a moniker he was eager to shed. Mickelson went winless in his first 46 majors. “I think the most difficult part of this 10-year journey has just been dealing with, I don’t want to say failure, but dealing with losses time after time,” Mickelson said after winning his first major. “It just gets frustrating. It can wear on you, except that you just can’t let it.” The toughest loss might have been at Pinehurst in 1999. Mickelson was tied with Payne Stewart at the U.S. Open going into the final hole. Stewart made an 15-foot par putt to win the tournament. Another difficult loss was at the 2001 PGA Championship. Mickelson entered the final round down by two to David Toms, but came up one stroke short, watching in disbelief as Toms laid up on the final hole and then calmly knocked in a 12-foot putt to win his first major championship. Mickelson has finished in the top 5 in 10 majors, including four runner-up finishes. In 2005, he added his second major, the PGA Championship, and now believes his game is ready to seriously contend for any major championship. “I certainly feel a little bit different I think entering the majors,” Mickelson said. “Certainly I’m a little bit more patient with myself and realize that as the course gets tougher, it’s not just my score that goes up, but everybody else’s does, too, so I think that makes it a little bit easier to deal with and play through.” |
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