Phil Mickelson: What He Needs to Do to Remain in Contention over the Weekend

The dangerously talented and typically unlucky (at the Open Championships, that is) American has a big shot at possibly winning this Major for the first time.

Phil Mickelson is used to finding himself in the rough (literally and figuratively) at the British Open. But, this time it could very well be a much improved result for the left-handed golfer.

After shooting even par the first day, many spectators were unsure whether he could keep up the decent level of play—and contrary to popular belief, he did today.

He is currently T14 after shooting one under (par) with a total of 69 strokes for the second day. An overall count of 139 strokes means he is just three strokes shy of co-leading for first place at -4.

Lefty has adopted a very interesting game plan to give himself a shot at being a contender for this Grand Slam. What is he doing differently?

Two things, actually.

Firstly, he has tossed away the fact that he has competed in this Major 18 times before. Phil Mickelson has developed a convenient case of Open amnesia.

In his own words, he credits himself for "[not worrying] about past performances. I'm going to try to learn and enjoy the challenge of playing links golf. I'm having fun doing that. I'm trying to pretend like it's my first time here."

Secondly, he is building his game's foundation on the conditions of the weather and the golf course at Royal St. George's. He is approaching this tournament with a new attitude and tolerance for links golf.

This means that the 41-year-old is abandoning his usual power-driven and tricky shots. He is not launching the balls as high into the air and is finding a place in his game for patience and finesse.

Adding this low-flying variety of shots to his temporary Open arsenal is allowing him to do so well, especially since the wind played a dramatic role during the first half of the championships.

Luckily for the American, the weather forecast does not show as much wind for the final two days of play, although it is supposed to rain.

The lack of wind will allow Phil to perhaps go back to his usual ways and play with even more confidence, sky-rocketing his golf ball with various spins into the clouds for a chance of better results.

In order to keep up the performance level over the weekend, Phil Mickelson should stick to what he has been doing while adding subtle changes given the atmospheric changes around him. He has proven himself to be more accurate than usual this British Open, but the wind going away might even affect him negatively since he has been shooting brilliantly with its presence by his side.

The American admitted that the tee times he was assigned benefited him and that luck played a small role in his superb performance.

Regardless of how well everybody else around him plays, he should just focus on himself; his dedication to the game could very well allow him to hoist the Claret Jug on Sunday.