Mickelson Weighs In…
Phil Mickelson flexed some muscle today, winning the FBR Open (formerly the Phoenix open), and it pretty much flew underneath the radar due to the media avalanche of the Superbowl. But make note of this, Mickelson did something he has never done before. Phil got a lead and then held it……
The thing about it is Mickelson had this lead days ago, kept it, didn’t falter, dropped putts when they counted, and basically didn’t give anybody a chance; keeping his 4 stroke lead, and finalizing the “another day at the office” performance by draining a 20 foot fringe putt on the 18th hole, hugging his daughters, kissing his wife, and grabbing the big check.
The FBR event - formerly the Phoenix Open - draws (by far) the biggest crowd of any PGA tournament. An estimated 165,000 people were there on Saturday, and the tournament draws about half a million each year. The signature hole” The Asylum”, as it is known, is the par-3, 162-yard 16th hole. It is really a throwaway nothing par 3, except for the fact that there is a loud, boisterous throng of thousands cheering or booing a players every shot. Think of your loud, obnoxious fraternity brother crossed with Mardi Gras, add ample amounts of Pete’s Wicked Ale and multiply by 5000, and you have some idea of the crowd. Intimidating to say the least. And they have adopted Mickelson as their “desert son”. Unfair really, since Phil plays golf in San Diego and there are at least half a dozen pros in the tournament this weekend who call Scottsdale home.
Phil will be back in San Diego for the Accenture Match play at La Costa in two weeks, and should be brimming with confidence after Sundays Victory, and his puttting looked solid and consistent, along with his generally solid short game. The only question is, If tiger played, and was in the chase on Sunday, would Phil have cruised? Woods took the Buick at Torrey Pines South golf course, Mickelson’s unofficial home field. The Accenture at La Costa might be a good place for a showdown between the two, and maybe a little payback. Stay tuned