Can Phil Mickelson Bounce Back In Time For The PGA Championship?

Had Mickelson won last week at the Bridgestone Invitational he would be the clear front-runner heading into this week’s PGA Championship.

Had Mickelson finished his round with four straight pars and in third place, he would still be a front-runner this week.

But the fact that Mickelson was tied for the lead heading into the 15^th hole on Sunday, and then proceeded to bogey three out of the last four holes makes me somewhat apprehensive labeling Mickelson as a favorite in the season’s final major. 

Mickelson held a share of the lead with four holes to play Sunday. 

The co-leader, Vijay Sing could not hit the broad side of a barn with his putter on the back nine, and if Mickelson had played the final four holes at one-under he would have won his first WGC.

Had Mickelson played the final four holes at even-par he would have forced a playoff with Sing, the outcome of which would have looked bright for Mickelson being that Vijay’s putter was somewhere off on another planet. 

But, no, as we have seen time and time again, Mickelson could not hold it together down the stretch.

Mickelson bogeyed fifteen, missed a five-foot birdie putt on sixteen that would have made him the sole leader, and then bogeyed seventeen and eighteen. This was in a round that saw Mickelson play bogey-free golf through fourteen holes.

Mickelson’s meltdown last week was no where near Winged Foot-esque proportions, but it was indeed a meltdown. 

For the number two player in the world to head into the final four holes with a share of the lead only to bogey three out of those four holes, and finish in a tie for third is indeed a meltdown by anyone’s standards.

But, despite Mickelson’s meltdown, his play at the Bridgestone Invitational can be viewed in a positive light. 

Mickelson played his best golf in a long time, making only seven bogeys over four rounds and hitting 72.2% of greens in regulation. 

Mickelson also appeared to be right on the verge of playing lights-out golf. He was driving the ball long and accurate, and he was sticking more approach shots than we have seen from him in quit some time. 

Oddly, Mickelson who is usually Houdini-like around the greens did not seem to have a solid grasp on his short game or his putting last week.   

Generally, when Mickelson is having any form of trouble with his game it is off the tee and with his long irons.

Mickelson’s short game is usually his lifeline that never wanes no matter how bad the rest of his game may be on any given day.

Mickelson’s short game keeps him in tournaments when the rest of his game is terrible and makes him better than most when the rest of his game is on. 

The fact that Mickelson’s short game was part of his downfall this week could be viewed in a positive light.

The likelihood of Mickelson regaining his magical touch around the greens in the next few days is a lot better than if he needed to regain his accuracy with the driver and long irons.

But, despite Mickelson’s overall stellar play at Firestone, we cannot overlook the fact the he sustained yet another meltdown in a big tournament.

Being the number two player in the world, on the brink of your first WGC with four holes to play, and then proceeding to bogey three out of those four holes would be stressful for anyone, but even more so for a man that has an unmatched reputation for melting down in big tournaments.

So, even more relevant than whether or not Mickelson can regain his shortgame this week is whether or not he can put his latest meltdown behind him and face brutal Oakland Hills with a clear head. 

Heading into this week’s PGA Championship, had it not been for three bogeys on Sunday afternoon, Mickelson would have to be named as a clear favorite.

But, a very large part of whether or not Mickelson will be successful this week at Oakland Hills is dependent upon whether or not he can attack Oakland Hills with confidence or whether he will enter the PGA with last week’s final four holes still etched somewhere near the front of his mind. 

Over the years we have seen Mickelson’s resilience in his ability to put the past behind him and move on.

What we have not seen is whether Mickelson is resilient enough to bounce back from a painful meltdown in a matter of just a few days.