Bleacher Report - Phil Mickelson

Phil, Tiger, Luke, Justin, and Merion GC Produce a Surprising U.S. Open Champ

Kathy Bissell — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:50:51 -0400

The U.S. Open was like the potpourri category on Jeopardy, everything from English history to agronomy.

It was unpredictable. It was a challenge to get it completed. It was made more difficult than it needed to be.

Phil Mickelson suffered, in his own words, another heartbreak. Tiger Woods experienced frustration and another injury. Luke Donald's ordinarily excellent game crumbled before our eyes.

Meanwhile, relative newcomers showed up briefly as they are supposed to do, Billy Horschel had amazingly bad Sunday pants and Hunter Mahan dressed in the dark one day.

Only Justin Rose was steady enough to get to the 18th without a severe hiccup. Finishing a couple of groups ahead of the leaders may have made it somewhat easier for him, although when he made his last putt at the 18th, it appeared that he felt he had won the U.S. Open.

On site, it was hard for people to get around the course. There were numerous areas where no galleries could go, only police escorts, caddies and players. A spectator's Debbie Downer.

The U.S. Open did have big-name challengers and a winner we already knew. It was just not a lot of fun for anyone, except Rose.

This time around, the USGA missed the opportunity to provide a chance at a crowning moment for one of golf's most popular champions and thereby have the 2013 U.S. Open take its place among the U.S. Opens of yore.

What should have happened—Mickelson winning after finishing second five times—didn't. So this will not be a Bobby Jones Grand Slam or Hogan Playoff U.S. Open. It will simply be the U.S. Open, where the USGA used all manner of trickery to make an already difficult course a gazillion times harder.

Take nothing away from Rose. He went out and took the course by as many body parts as he could tie down, and he won it. He was absolutely the conquering hero, but nearly everyone's heart tugged just a little when Mickelson came up short again.

Well, OK, maybe Woods didn't feel that way.

Because of the setup, Merion was more unrelenting than necessary. Why have a 260-yard, par three, uphill and into the wind? Who's the psycho wanting that? Almost nobody could get to the green.

The members and superintendent at Merion Golf Club must have decided that there was no way they were going to have the score be under par, no matter what. They were not going to be Congressional, where Rory McIlroy won with a record low score on a wet golf course.

What can you say about Mickelson except that he lipped out enough putts to have won easily. Was it nerves or was it the fact that the soft greens got trampled near the hole, making balls do some kind of a funny zig-zag as they approached the cup.

They looked like they were going in, then suddenly curved out and then curved back in after passing the hole. It was almost like the hole and the ball were identical fields of magnet poles repelling each other.

Now Mickelson can be as good a whiffer as anybody when it comes to putts, but even when he has a bad patch, he's not that bad. Nobody has greens that break outward three inches away from the hole on all sides.

Yet Merion did.

Something was wrong there. The putting alone was enough to make one wonder if the staff setting the pins didn't actually lift up the turf where the pins were located to make all putts break away from the hole.

I don't know if that's even possible. It could simply have been that the ground around the holes became trampled down due to the wet conditions and those areas remained higher than the cup.

Woods was going along fine until he winced after hitting out of the rough. What is it about the USGA that it's not enough to find a difficult course? The USGA seems fixated on actually having grass so deep that players can hurt themselves. Woods said he injured himself at The Players, but we didn't see it in Ponte Vedra Beach. If he tweaked anything, he kept it secret, which of course, he has a right to do.

Bermuda grass at TPC Sawgrass is difficult, but it is different than the shoe-covering rough at Merion. What is the staff thinking when it provides conditions that endanger golfers again? See Mickelson at Oakmont. Of course, he also missed his share of putts.

It seemed the time was ripe for Luke Donald to take charge, but he melted before our eyes. It was a complete turnaround from the golfer who stared down world No. 1 Lee Westwood in a playoff at the BMW International.

What did Merion do to Luke? Was he afraid of reinjuring his wrist? Was he just not sharp on Sunday? Was he also just too nervous about his excellent chance?

Rose may not know it yet, but his life changed more than anyone's on Sunday. He has the kind of personality that may allow him to be unaffected by it all. However, he will carry England on his shoulders for the rest of his career.

He will be knighted OBE, MBE or one of those titles the Queen confers on the likes of Nick Faldo and Tony Jacklin. People will wear masks of his face at the British Open. His life in England may become Beatle-like, but at Lake Nona in Orlando, he will be fine. The value of his house has gone up in the last week. A U.S. Open trophy will do that.

While Rose has not been a prolific winner in the US, he has won on good golf courses against very strong fields. He is certainly not as unlikely a winner as Webb Simpson was last year. The 2012 Ryder Cup taught Rose he was as good as anybody.

Beating Mickelson head-to-head in match play in Chicago no doubt gave Rose the confidence that he could beat him in stroke play at Merion. Rose stayed out of trouble, and if he was nervous on the greens (let's assume he was), he controlled it better than anybody else and got lucky with putts at the right time.

Finally, there was Merion Golf Club. It's a scenic course, but is also severe—maybe not quite as penal as Oakland Hills, in Bloomfield Hills, Mich, but not far from it. It is reminiscent of Oakland Hills on a smaller scale with such pretty baubles around the holes as shaggy bunkers and comforting looking trees. It has a gentle look for a hard course.

Oakland Hills, which is more sparse visually plays tough because there are so many holes that play to uphill greens, some of them severely uphill. In that regard, Merion Golf Club is not unlike it. At least 11 of Merion's holes are significantly uphill.

That is the toughest kind of golf to play because it adds hard-to-judge distance to a shot. It's the actual length plus having to land on a target that may be obscured or adjusting yardage because the ball is going to land on a green before it reaches the end of its downward arc. That makes it harder to judge the kind of shot required. Add wind, and it's a recipe for bad moons rising.

If I were a member of Merion Golf Club (and make no mistake, I'm not), I'd feel a little disappointed that the course wasn't enough for the professionals and had to be so severely doctored. The reason I say that is one of my friends played media day at Merion where they played every shot off mats so as not to disturb the turf. He's a scratch, and he shot in the 70s. That is also the reason media types thought it might not be enough for the pros.

By trickery and turf trouble and fast, fast, fast greens, along with super-narrow fairways and set-ups like the par three that almost nobody on the PGA Tour could reach (some even when they hit driver), the USGA again showed that when it comes to messing with a perfectly good golf course, nobody is better at it than they are.

It was perfect car-wreck golf and that's their specialty. But it might have been more fun to watch if there had been a few birdies here and there, something that allowed for a player to charge up the leaderboard instead of everyone falling down it.

Kathy Bissell is a Golf Writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand or from official interview materials from the USGA, PGA Tour or PGA of America.

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Phil Mickelson's Sunday Collapse at Merion: A Live Perspective at the US Open

Zack Lessner — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:02:57 -0400

The words from U2’s lead singer Bono rang true as I sprang out of bed as my alarm played “Beautiful Day.” Despite the 4:45 a.m. wake-up call, Father’s Day Sunday started out with optimism that on his birthday, Phil Mickelson could finally capture his first US Open title after finishing as runner-up five times.

As a marshal at the US Open, I volunteered to help work on the Par 5 Hole 2 at Merion Golf Club with about 120 other members from the DuPont Country Club during the championship week. My shift assignments were scheduled for the afternoons on Tuesday and Saturday and then for the entirety of Sunday.

While on duty, I was faced with many straightforward tasks with the goal of keeping a steady pace for the players. I shifted around jobs and helped keep track of drives from the tee box, opened and closed ropes for spectators to pass through, and marked balls hit in the heavy rough for the players to later come up and find. With my easily identifiable striped marshal polo, I had to field a barrage of spectator questions ranging from the ever popular “Where is Tiger at?” to “How do I get to hole 5 without missing Rory drive off of 3?”

During the practice round on Tuesday, I got to see Woods take drives from the tee box and Mcllroy take multiple shots from the fairway. On Saturday I got up-close views of Bubba Watson putting and also followed Phil Mickelson around for a while as he shot even on the day.

While regular spectators were not allowed to bring cameras or phones inside the course at Merion, marshals were exempt from the rule. As the youngest marshal by two generations, I was able to capture priceless pictures and videos throughout my three days at the Open that only the media would have otherwise had access to.

As I traveled with my grandfather, who was also my Hole Captain, on the bus Sunday morning from PPL Park to Merion Golf Club, there was a buzz in the air that history would be made today. After arriving at the course, there was time to kill before the 8:44 a.m. starting tee time. I ventured over to the 18^th hole’s grandstand, only to be amazed that it was halfway full despite the fact that the spectators would see no action for at least five hours.

The morning shift wasn’t too crowded since the golfers playing at the time had virtually no shot at winning. Once my grandmother showed up for her duty as Hole Captain in the afternoon, the crowd had picked up considerably.

By the time Tiger was coming through our hole, I was monitoring the second landing area closer to the green. Hoping that Tiger might turn one in the rough for me to mark, I did not gain my five seconds of TV fame as he hit his fifth shot from the fairway onto the green. A three-putt combined with his drive landing out of bounds, Tiger walked off hole 2 with a Triple Bogey all but summing up his frustrating weekend.

Besides marking Rory’s playing partner Morten Orum Madsen’s ball in the rough, my other highlight involved Steve Stricker’s disastrous hole which all but eliminated him from the tournament. After Stricker drove his provisional ball into the fairway, he took out an iron to play the rest of the hole safe. Without time to think, I was running after the ball Stricker shanked to the right near the fence. In a few frantic moments in which no official could find the ball, I spotted it wedged in between a tree and the fence. Stricker approached the ball and deemed it unplayable, and had to take his second drop of the hole.

The final group of the day came at around 3:45, with both Mickelson and Mahan hitting beautiful drives in the fairway right in front of my eyes. With the pin placed forward, Mickelson decided to go for the green in two shots, but a groan was heard among the crowd as he pulled the wood into the right sand trap. After a skilled chip shot landed Phil within 5 feet of the cup, he started his theme for the day by missing the makeable birdie and settling for par.

As this was the final group to come through my hole, marshals were shortly released from their duties. Talking it over with my grandparents, we agreed that they would go home to watch the finale of the tournament on television while I would stay at the course. After heading to the restroom and getting something to eat, I walked across the street to where my day had begun at Merion: The 18^th green’s grandstand.

Approaching the grandstand, I soon realized that with at least 40 people in line in front of me, it might take a while for seats to open up. With my view entirely blocked, I continued to follow the tournament’s progression with the free radios that had been provided, along with continuously refreshing the scoreboard on my phone.

When it looked as if I might never get a seat, the weather, which had proved to be an obstacle all week, granted me a favor. A quick and heavy rainfall sent many fans running for cover, and in turn quickened the movement of the line to get in. After at least 90 minutes of waiting, I was finally able to land a seat at a top bleacher.

Even though seven groups had yet to approach 18’s green, fans in the stands had their ears glued to their radios, in which they hoped to get an update on Phil Mickelson. As the rain continued to fall and contenders such as Ricky Fowler, Michael Kim, and Jason Day were having problems with the glass-quick green, the focus of the fans was directed at Mickelson’s score.

With three groups to go and Mickelson one stroke behind, a roar of the adjacent grandstand indicated that leader Justin Rose had hit a tremendous tee shot into the fairway. After a just-as-tremendous second shot that landed Rose at the bottom of the green in the fringe, the Englishman whipped out a hybrid and prepared to secure his lead. Rose rolled a brilliant shot inches left of the hole, and after the tap in he received a polite ovation from the crowd.

Mickelson missed birdie opportunities on both 16 and 17, forcing him to birdie 18 in order to square off in an 18 hole playoff on Monday with Rose. He had already birdied 18 on Friday, giving the spectators hope that he could pull it off again. With binoculars in hand, the crowd watched in horror as Phil pushed his tee shot left into trees, giving him little opportunity to reach the green with his next shot. A gutsy second shot by Phil landed him right in front of the green with about 30 yards to the cup.

With no other groups behind this last one, fans watching from every other area rushed into the fairway, rough, and even trees to witness Phil attempt history. After looking at every angle possible, Lefty grabbed a wedge out and took his last important swing of the day. A hush in the crowd was quickly met by screams of “Get in the hole!”, but the storybook finish fell short as the ball rolled just right of the hole and down the green.

A double bogey from Mickelson handed him his sixth US Open silver, while Justin Rose came out of the clubhouse as the first Major winner from England since Nick Faldo’s win at the Masters in 1996. After the final ceremony on the green, I headed back to Gate Two feeling good for Justin Rose winning his first major.

On my walk to the exit, I ran into another volunteer who I had chatted with on the bus ride up on Saturday. As we discussed the exciting tournament we had just experienced, we agreed that on his 43^rd birthday, family man Phil Mickelson sadly blew his opportunity to celebrate Father’s Day with a US Open win.

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A New Era of Parity: How the Field Caught Up to Tiger, Rory and Phil

James McMahon — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:22:48 -0400

Tiger Woods is still the best player in the world by a good margin, but that superiority hasn't translated into a major victory in a half decade.

Phil Mickelson hasn't won a major in more than two years and has only two in the past seven. A bright future is ahead of Rory McIlroy, but the young star expected to assume the mantle of top golfer is struggling through an extended swing change hangover.

With those three struggling, the opportunity for breakthrough performances both from new faces and golfers coming into their own is making the current landscape of professional golf one of the most competitive and unpredictable since the late 1990s.

It may also be the early stages of the end of the Woods-Mickelson era and the beginning of one that will certainly be highlighted—but not necessarily dominated—by McIlroy, as so many recently believed.

In an 11-year stretch from 1997 to 2008, Woods won an unheard-of 14 major championships. No golfer before him in the modern era won majors at that kind of clip; not Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer or Ben Hogan.

During that same run, Mickelson captured three majors of his own, added a fourth in 2010 and was undoubtedly the second-best golfer in the world for a decade. With a pair of major victories in 2011 and 2012, McIlroy emerged as the heir apparent to the Woods-Mickelson dominance.

Yet the talk of professional golf is no longer limited to these three golfers, as their extended and recent struggles have opened the door for others to not only win major championships, but to be considered among the game’s elite.

Through that door have come the likes of recently-minted U.S. Open champion Justin Rose, reigning Masters champion Adam Scott, former World No. 1 Luke Donald and 2012 green jacket winner Bubba Watson, to name just a few.

Call it perfect timing or maybe just a stroke of luck, but the game has a number of talented, enigmatic and poised-to-pop golfers who are heading into their prime just as questions persist around the game’s long-toothed leaders’ ability to win and dominate the way they once had.

It’s true that parity in professional golf has been around in good measure since Woods stopped winning majors after his injury-plagued triumph at Torrey Pines in 2008. In fact, since that victory—a span of 20 major championships—only McIlroy and fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington have won more than one major.

That means since the 2008 U.S. Open we have seen 18 different winners, and only four of those—Mickelson, Harrington, Ernie Els and Angel Cabrera—owned a major title before a torn ACL and personal turmoil ended Tiger’s reign of dominance.

Even with Woods out of the mix, Mickelson has sputtered over the past several years, at least as it pertains to majors. Since Woods’ last major victory, Mickelson has managed only one himself—the 2010 Masters—and hasn't threatened as much as people might think.

Yes, many golfers have won majors since Woods abruptly stopped doing it five years ago, but it felt more like those golfers were holding Tiger’s place rather than plotting to take it. Victories by Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink and Darren Clarke were great theater, but no one thought those golfers would ascend much beyond those singular accomplishments.

That said, there’s something different about what we have seen over the past year-and-a-half, culminating with this past weekend’s U.S. Open. There’s something special about the golfers who are starting to break through, creating a feeling that a new elite group is arriving to join McIlroy as the future of professional golf.

During their prime, Woods and Mickelson were just better than the great golfers that challenge them. There was Els, Davis Love III, Colin Montgomerie, Sergio Garcia and David Duval just to name a few. Those players had great talent, and several of them won majors, but it just seemed that when Woods and Mickelson were at their best, it wasn't a fair fight.

That mystique, especially as it pertains to Woods, isn't there any longer. At the 2009 PGA Championship, Woods lost a major for the first time after leading through 36 holes. In 2012, he twice led majors after 36 holes, only to become a nonfactor after 54.

The decline in dominance has coincided perfectly with the evolution of a new powerful, confident and tested cadre of golfers such as Scott, Rose, Donald and Bradley.

They are neither afraid nor intimidated by the world’s best players because they've been emulating them and are chomping at the bit to compete against them.

The generation of golfers that came up with Woods and Mickelson didn't have the opportunity to study them and adopt their traits. The generation that’s coming at them now did, so the battlefield is more even.

That arriving reality was on full display Sunday when at least a dozen golfers without a major championship were in the hunt when the final round began—and a handful of those, including Rose and co-runner-up Jason Day, were right there when the matter was decided late in the afternoon.

Most agree the sky’s the limit for the likes of recent major winners Scott, Rose, Watson, Keegan Bradley, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen. The same can be said for the likes of near-miss major contenders Jason Day, Luke Donald and Billy Horschel. It just feels different with this crop of contenders than it did a couple years ago.

It feels like a changing of the guard taking place before our very eyes.

No, Woods and Mickelson will not go easily into the night. Yes, McIlroy will figure things out and eventually head the class of major winners for years to come.

That said, for the first time in a long time, the golfers chasing the game’s elite will have as much to say about winning or losing as Woods, Mickelson and McIlroy do. Their talent and poise is equal. Their determination and maturity the same.

It’s a new day in golf—and it’s going to be exciting to watch it play out.

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Phil Mickelson's Second-Place Finish at 2013 US Open Boils Down to Poor Putting

Jesse Reed — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:39:07 -0400

Phil Mickelson will go down as one of the best putters in golf history, which is why it is all the more tragic that his putter let him down the most at the 2013 U.S. Open.

It was his sixth second-place finish in the U.S. Open, which is the most in tournament history, as noted by ESPN Stats & Info:

Lefty hit enough fairways and greens to win the tournament, but when he needed to sink birdie putts on Saturday and Sunday, too often he failed to do so.

Phil being Phil, you expect him to counter brilliant shots with head-scratchers, and there were certainly a few of those during his rounds at Merion's East Course. That said, he was in prime position to win the tournament only to find that the most reliable part of his game was nowhere to be found.

After his near-perfect opening round of 67 on Thursday, Mickelson's struggles with the flat stick showed up early in Round 2. As the PGA Tour noted, he three-putted No. 1 to drop a shot right out of the gate:

Then, later on in the round, Mickelson nearly holed out from the fairway for eagle on No. 8, leaving himself an easy, two-foot putt for his birdie. Mickelson missed the gimme putt and had to settle for a disappointing par, as noted by KPMG Mickelson:

This was a common narrative surrounding Lefty's 2013 U.S. Open experience, and it reared up in a bad way again on Sunday in the final round.

On the reachable par-5 second hole, Mickelson was able to hit a brilliant third shot out of the bunker that nearly went into the hole, setting himself up for a relatively easy birdie putt. As Golf.com noted, Lefty's putter let him down again, and he couldn't seize the golden opportunity to improve his score:

Again, this was a common theme for Mickelson at Merion. Just like his gorgeous bunker shot on No. 2, he put together a stunning collection of brilliant shots that culminated with his eagle from the right-hand rough on No. 10.

Unfortunately, when he needed to make clutch putts, he simply couldn't find the bottom of the cup.

Justin Rose beat Mickelson by two strokes and finished the tournament with a total of 120 putts.

Mickelson finished the tournament with 129 putts.

Mickelson—the man who has been known as one of the world's best putters for the better part of the past two decades—needed nine more putts than the leader, who won by just two strokes.

Of all the things that could go wrong with Mickelson's game, you'd be foolish to predict it would be his putting. For the season, Lefty ranks No. 8 in the "strokes gained - putting" stat, and he's always been a phenomenal player on the greens.

But when he needed it the most, it was Mickelson's putter that let him down the most at the 2013 U.S. Open.

Note: Stats courtesy of PGATour.com and USOpen.com

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78

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Phil Mickelson: Is Glass Half Empty or Half Full for Lefty After 2013 US Open?

Will Leivenberg — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:28:58 -0400

Words like “tortured” and “emptiness” are being thrown around about Phil Mickelson after taking home his sixth second-place finish at a U.S. Open. Even Phil used the word “heartbreak” in the wake of the loss.

As he should.

There’s a distinction that needs to be made between the perception of Phil Mickelson’s Sunday at the U.S. Open and his future.

Sunday’s glass is not half empty—that’s too kind. That glass has shattered.

Phil’s mistakes in that final round were glaring and costly. He resembled the “Wildcard Phil” sports fans knew was susceptible to coming up short, a player in stark contrast to the seemingly transformed Phil at Merion the previous three days. Lefty took his medicine and left the driver out of the bag, and he was disciplined and consistent. Not to mention the momentum he had going into Sunday—he had the lead, it was Father’s Day, his 43rd birthday and the galleries cheered him on as the favorite since Day 1.

But in the grander scope of Phil’s career and his future as a competitor, his glass can’t be anything but half full. And that's the glass that counts.

The "time heals all" mantra has never been more apropos; just ask Jack Nicklaus, who finished runner-up in the majors a record 19 times (although he does have 18 major victories as well).

Any time you earn a spot in the final group Sunday and are contending for major championship glory, there’s a sense of achievement. From there, it’s about execution. Clearly Phil did not execute like he could have, but that wound will heal, as it has before.

Phil arguably may not have won the majors he did (four of them) had he not previously experienced the cruel defeat of the various seconds and thirds he captured on the world’s biggest stages.

There’s learning inscribed in every loss, no matter how heartbreaking.

This U.S. Open was Phil’s championship to win. But in the conveyance of history it should not be remembered as a “classic Phil flop,” rather as a historic bout on an historic course.

Merion proved to be the most grueling U.S. Open track in recent memory. No player was exempt from the carnage. Everyone made mistakes—from 14-time major winner Tiger Woods (+13) to Masters champ Adam Scott (+15)—and it ultimately came down to who could minimize the number of mistakes at the end of four days.

The U.S. Open champion, Justin Rose, was a statistical marvel at Merion. Rose ranked in the top 5 in the three most critical stats: greens in regulation (No. 5 at 69.77%), birdie leaders (No.1 with 15, five on Sunday) and, most importantly of all, fairways hit (No. 2 at 75%).

While Phil played with poise the first three rounds, the wheels came off Sunday. Whereas Rose didn’t make a double bogey all week, Phil carded two in the span of three holes on Sunday alone. Mickelson played the easiest hole on the course—the short par-3 13th hole—at one-over par for the week, and he overshot the green Sunday, earning one of his three back-nine bogeys.

Mickelson was just a different player Sunday.

After hitting 10 fairways on average the previous three rounds—not great, but solid—Mickelson hit just eight in the final round. Although he hit 15 of 18 greens Sunday, the fact that he was playing from the rough so often kept him from really being aggressive.

And the greens, well, they were Lefty’s nemesis all week. Phil needed 129 putts over four rounds (32.25 average), two worse that Tiger Woods, who finished 10 shots worse.

Not even a miracle hole-out for eagle at the 10th hole could reignite Mickelson’s round.

But a Sunday plagued by poor execution won’t drain Mickelson of optimism. Rather, it will fuel it.

Let’s not forget who we’re talking about here. Jovial Phil. Smiley Phil. Most likable guy on Tour Phil.

He’s not a bitter loser, just like he’s not a cocky champion.

His passion for golf lives in the wedges he hits and spins back on command as much as his interactions with the galleries who applaud him from his first tee shot to his last.

At 43, Mickelson may not be exactly in the prime of his career, but he’s definitely not near the end. He’s still a top-10 player in the world. Still the greatest wedge player in the game—perhaps of all time. He ranks eighth in putting on tour and there’s no indication that the flatstick will let him down like this again. He has one win, two seconds and two thirds this season alone.

Sunday at Merion is more of an isolated incident for Phil, rather than a sign of any downfall or future struggles. He’s healthy and the fire is still there; Lefty can still brawl with the best of them.

Mickelson’s been painted as the U.S. Open’s forlorn figure. But as Golf Channel writer Jason Sobel aptly noted:

Don’t cry for Mickelson, though. If the worst thing that happens in his career – one in which he has amassed three green jackets, one Wanamaker Trophy and millions upon millions of dollars – is that he never wins the U.S. Open, the heartbreak will remain surrounded by so much achievement.

The sense of achievement that comes with putting oneself in contention outweighs the pain of defeat. Mickelson has learned that time and again and will find his way back into the winner’s circle. Maybe even at a U.S. Open.

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US Open Golf 2013: Phil Mickelson Is Bound to Win Golf's 2nd Major Eventually

Jesse Reed — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:00:04 -0400

Nobody in history has more second-place finishes at the U.S. Open than Phil Mickelson, who has six after finishing in second place in the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion.

However, second-place finishes aren't all bad, especially when you consider the other great golfers in the history of the sport who have piled up near-misses. As ESPN Stats & Info points out, Jack Nicklaus finished his career with 19 second-place finishes in majors, while Arnold Palmer had 10:

Both of the men with more second-place finishes than Mickelson were also the most prodigious golfers of their time.

Eventually, Mickelson will finally break through and win a U.S. Open.

He's too good not to win at least one before he retires.

Honestly, if not for a few bad shots, Mickelson should have won on Sunday. Unfortunately for him, it's impossible to say they were uncharacteristic mistakes. Mickelson is the king of up-and-down golf, as noted by Jason Sobel of Golf Channel:

At one point, Mickelson sandwiched two double bogeys with a birdie between No. 3 and No. 5. He has a tendency to run hot, get bold and then make poor shots on aggressive lines. When he's on, Mickelson comes up with more highlight-reel shots on a regular basis, like the shot he made on No. 10 from the right-hand rough.

He didn't stay hot for long afterwards, though, shooting three bogeys down the home stretch to finish the day at four-over par.

One day in the future, Mickelson will stay hot long enough to pull ahead of the field and coast home for an easy win.

Like Nicklaus and Palmer, Mickelson is one of the game's all-time greats.

Not only is he a brilliant player, but he's a good guy.

He cares as much about winning as he does about going home on a Tuesday to make sure he's there for his daughter's graduation during U.S. Open week. Mickelson has long been a fan favorite, too. He always takes extra time to sign autographs for his fans.

Some day in the not-too-distant future, his adoring fans will witness his most triumphant moment as he finally wins a U.S. Open.

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78

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Ranking the Most Heartbreaking Moments of Phil Mickelson's Career

Ben Alberstadt — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:40:02 -0400

After his final-round 74 at Merion, Phil Mickelson now has a record six runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open.

Think about it: Lefty is a six-time bridesmaid at the same event. That's enough heartbreak for several careers as a professional golfer...and we haven't even touched on the other three majors, or the rest of the events on the PGA Tour.

Implosions, near-misses and chases, running out of gas, are all on this list of the most heartbreaking moments of Phil's career.

Begin Slideshow

US Open 2013: Phil Mickelson Should Ask for a New Putter for His Birthday

Dan Levy — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 22:03:59 -0400

ARDMORE, Pa.—Phil Mickelson didn't get a U.S. Open Championship for his 43rd birthday like he wanted. He probably should have asked for a new putter first.

Through his 18 holes on Sunday, Mickelson used his putter 37 times on the greens. Well, he used his actual putter 36 times, as he had to use his wedge to get the ball over a ridge on the 15th hole that, technically, still counts as a putt.

Thirty-seven putts. What a horrible birthday present that was.

There comes a time in a round of golf—four rounds, if you think about Phil's entire second-place finish at Merion—where the lip-outs and burned edges on putt after putt go from making a player feel great with his putter to wanting to throw it in the quarry.

"I didn't feel the stroke was off," Mickelson told the assembled media after his four-over 74 on Sunday. "The stroke felt fabulous all day, starting at the first hole. I can't believe that ball didn't go in."

Then, Phil's comments became comical, or depressing, depending on how you look at it, when he talked about all his missed chances with the blade.

"The second hole I hit a good putt. It was really rough around that hole there. I hit a good putt for eagle on four. Hit a good putt on six. I thought I made that.

"I thought I made the one on eight. Thought I made the one on nine, man. The one on 11 wasn't great, but I thought I had a chance on 12. Certainly 16, I thought I made.

"There were a number that could have gone in. And I think only one did, the one on 14 for par."

That, if you are counting, is nine putts that Mickelson thought he made when he struck the ball. And that was just on Sunday. He had a number of lip-outs in his first two rounds and had at least four burned edges in Round 3 as well.

Conservatively speaking, Mickelson missed at least 16 putts this week that one might say—certainly Phil might say—he should have made. If just one of those putts had gone in, Mickelson would be in a playoff on Monday. Had two gone in, he would be the U.S. Open champion.

Mickelson now has six second-place finishes in his 23 U.S. Opens. When asked if this was his toughest runner-up finish to swallow, he was very candid, saying that he thought it was his best chance, which makes it that much more disappointing.

"This one's probably the toughest for me, because at 43 and coming so close five times, it would have changed way I look at this tournament altogether and the way I would have looked at my record. Except I just keep feeling heartbreak."

It just didn't feel like a typical Mickelson round early on Sunday. He carded two double bogeys in his first five holes, but was still completely in contention.

It didn't feel like the wheels were falling off at any time, either. He was composed, answering one double bogey with a near eagle for a tap-in birdie to stay at, or near, the top of the leaderboard.

When Mickelson holed out his second shot on the 10th hole for eagle, there was a palpable buzz around the green. Phil had gotten through his rough patch and was somehow back leading the tournament.

It was as if everything that came before was suddenly erased. Once again, it felt like Phil's tournament to win.

There were certainly a few shots that got away from Mickelson on the back nine, most notably the tee shot on the short par-three 13th, which was right on line with the pin but flown way over. Usually adept around the greens, he was only able to get his second shot to around 25 feet and narrowly missed the par putt, settling for bogey.

That could have been his undoing, but the impossible stretch of holes between 14 and 18 allowed him to stay right with playing partner Hunter Mahan and eventual winner Justin Rose.

It's hard to decide if Phil lost the U.S. Open or Rose just went out and won it. The course was incredibly difficult all week, so Rose certainly deserves credit for the way he held on down the stretch, minimizing his mistakes enough with the difficult conditions and immense pressure of the situation.

Rose won at one of the toughest courses in U.S. Open history, with no player at or below par. Still, Phil should really have been under par.

He played well enough to win, but his putting, while almost perfect, wasn't good enough when he needed it to be.

A bad bogey on the 15th put extra pressure on the last three holes, and despite a wayward tee shot on the 16th hole, he stuck his second shot over the quarry to eight feet and a chance for birdie to tie Rose, who was in the 18th fairway at the time.

I was convinced, standing greenside on the 16th hole, that Mickelson was going to drain that birdie putt and go on to win the U.S. Open.

And then he missed it. I still don't know how he missed it. Neither does he or anybody on that green.

When his tee shot on the 17th left him with little chance for birdie, Phil settled for par and a faint chance of magic—Ben Hogan-like magic—to birdie the 18th hole to force a playoff.

His drive went left into the rough, and despite a wicked slice to try to cut the ball around the low-hanging trees, Mickelson left his approach short, needing another hole-out to force a playoff.

We know how that ended. Needing one last birthday gift, Mickelson wasn't able to hole the shot. The lights went out on another U.S. Open chance for Lefty. Sadly for him, the lights weren't birthday candles.

Maybe his wish will come true next year.

"If I had won today or if I ultimately win, I'll look back at the other Opens and think that [six second-place finishes] was a positive play. If I never get The Open, then I look back and I think that—every time I think of the U.S. Open, I just think of heartbreak."

Next year, Mickelson will get another chance to win at Pinehurst of all places, where his first runner-up finish happened at the hands, and putter, of Payne Stewart 15 years ago.

As much as Mickelson loved the course at Merion—he really loved the course this week and thought it gave him his best chance to win—maybe next year will be his time. If he still has one birthday wish left, maybe he can wish for that.

After the new putter, for sure.

All quotes obtained firsthand.

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US Open 2013: Ranking the Biggest Surprises at Merion

Will Leivenberg — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 21:16:20 -0400

The 113th U.S. Open was Phil Mickelson's to lose Sunday at Merion Golf Club.

But no matter what mistakes we recall from Lefty's ebb and flow final round, there's no denying that Justin Rose (+1) deservedly won the Open and in doing so, his first major championship.

The 32-year-old Englishman performed with the poise of a veteran beginning with his first tee shot Thursday. Rose never carded anything worse than a bogey at Merion, a feat very few competitors own after trudging through one of the most grueling U.S. Open tracks in recent memory.

Rose is no fluke either.

He owns four top 10s this season on tour and two top 10s in his career at the US Open. This is a player who's been chomping at the bit in majors, grabbing a pair of top 10s last year, first at the Masters (T8) and then at the PGA Championship (T3).

Rose was a favorite to win the U.S. Open—a strong driver of the golf ball and an even better ball-striker—so his victory is by no means as surprising as some of the other storylines from Merion, ranging from the heavy contenders that collapsed to the memorable performances of some unlikely golfers.

Let's take a look!

Begin Slideshow

Merion Golf Club US Open 2013: Challenging Course Caused Havoc All Weekend Long

Kyle Newport — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 21:15:13 -0400

The U.S. Open concluded on Sunday, and Merion Golf Club's course did golfers no favors throughout the weekend.

Final standings from the weekend can be found at the official website of the US Open.

Justin Rose of England walked away victorious, but not even the champion had an easy time. He finished the tournament at one-over-par.

Nobody finished under par, so that shows just how difficult the course was all weekend.

The course was tough on everybody, and it provided drama up until the final hole. Lefty Phil Mickelson needed a birdie on one of the final two holes to force a playoff, but he couldn't manage one.

Mickelson had a chance to win the tournament, but he stumbled to a four-over-par in the final round after being the only golfer under par through three rounds.

Tiger Woods was one of many golfers to have an extremely rough time in the tournament. He shot six-over-par on Saturday, which was the worst round at the US Open in his career according to Gary Mihoces of USA Today Sports. Woods finished the weekend at 13-over-par.

Rose was the only golfer to finish within two strokes of par. He had only one round in which he finished under par.

American Hunter Mahan finished at five-over-par and tied for fifth, and he was the only golfer who had at least two rounds under par.

The difficult course made for a lot of drama, but it also made it tough for golfers to put up impressive numbers. Everyone was bunched together starting in the opening round, and it only got tighter as the tournament went on.

Rose finished in first, but it was hardly easy. He had to wait and see if the course would continue to play tough as Mickelson finished up. As expected, the course made it tough on Lefty and Rose was able to hold on.

A wild weekend at the US Open concluded with nobody under par, but it doesn't take away from Rose's performance at Merion.

*All information is courtesy of the official website of the US Open.

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Phil Mickelson at US Open Golf 2013: Day 4 Recap and Twitter Reaction

Donald Wood — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 19:48:14 -0400

After shooting a 74 on Day 4, Phil Mickelson finished second at the U.S. Open for the sixth time in his career, falling just two shots shy of winner Justin Rose with a final score of plus-three 283.

The crushing blow of coming in second at the U.S. Open hits Mickelson once again despite a solid round of golf at Merion Golf Club, and the hunt for the elusive final major in his career Grand Slam will continue.

Mickelson started his fourth day at Merion Golf Club with a poor shot off the first tee, but he was able to use his great mid-range game to get himself out of trouble. While there are others on the sport’s top tour that can be comparable in terms of iron play, Mickelson understands just how great he is, letting fellow golfer Colt Knost in on his confidence:

The five-time U.S. Open runner-up made par on the first two holes, though he missed a birdie opportunity on hole No. 2 that would have started him off on the right foot. Still, the struggles only got worse after that:

While Mickelson managed to birdie hole No. 4, he double-bogeyed both the No. 3 and No. 5 holes to bring him back into positive numbers. Most golfers would fall apart after an early performance like that, but this is not Mickelson’s first U.S. Open rodeo.

Mickelson understood where he was on the leaderboard and did not panic. Instead, he went on to finish the front nine with four straight pars. While he still trailed Justin Rose for the outright lead, the American had put himself in a position to succeed.

After making the turn and heading to the back nine, hole No. 10 is where Mickelson proved he could still contend for a win. With one of the most beautiful shots of the entire tournament, Mickelson hit an eagle off the fairway and celebrated accordingly.

The great score on No. 10 led to two straight pars on holes No. 11 and No. 12, but an errant tee shot on an easy No. 13 led to a bogey and put Mickelson a shot off the lead heading into the toughest stretch of the entire course.

Mickelson carried his struggles into the 14th hole, but after a tee shot to forget and another bad swing, he finally sank a huge putt to par the hole and minimize the damage. After bogeying the tough 15th, Mickelson missed a perfect birdie opportunity on hole No. 16 and remained a shot behind the lead by making par.

The 17th was a par for Mickelson, and with Justin Rose entering the clubhouse with the one-stroke lead, Lefty needed to birdie hole No. 18. The pressure was officially on.

Mickelson’s drive off the 18th tee was wide left and found the rough, but the lie in the grass wasn’t terrible. Lefty drove it onto the fairway, but missed his birdie shot to give Rose the win and finish in second place once again, tied with Jason Day.

For Mickelson, a win at the 2013 U.S. Open would have been an amazing accomplishment, especially with this being both Father's Day and his birthday. In the end, though, Lefty came up just short once again, unable to conquer this major for the first time in his decorated career.

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Phil Mickelson's Eagle: Instant Look and Analysis of Incredible Shot on 10

Richard Langford — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 18:58:14 -0400

I don't know what was more impressive—Phil Mickelson holing a wedge shot from the insane rough of the Merion Golf Club on No. 10, or the two inches of vertical lift the 43-year-old showed while celebrating the eagle to regain the lead in the 113th U.S. Open.

You be the judge:

On a course that isn't surrendering many birdies, Mickelson's eagle is a game-changer, and he needed it. In a three-hole stretch on the front side, Lefty suffered two double-bogeys to drop out of the lead he worked so hard to establish for three rounds.

The doubles came on Nos. 3 and 5. Of course, the unpredictable four-time major winner sandwiched a birdie in between those two holes. Still, it is difficult to survive on Sunday in any major when dropping three strokes to par in three holes.

After that rough stretch, Phil knocked in four straight pars as he evened out in his quest to win his first U.S. Open. That led to the wedge shot on No. 10, which got him back to even par.

It was a truly remarkable shot. With very little green to work with and a slight slope in the landing area, the shot would've been amazing off the fairway. Considering it was in the thick rough, though, it is almost unbelievable.

Phil just powered right through the rough and yet was still able to maintain his touch. Of course, that is exactly why Mickelson is one of the greatest wedge players ever. This is not lost on him, as fellow golfer Colt Knost notes:

Now, Phil has to try to carry this momentum with him through the 18th hole. That is something he wasn't able to do the last time he holed an eagle in U.S. Open play. ESPN Stats & Info reminds us of 2009:

If Mickelson does go on to win, the spot captured in this tweet by the The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane may not be as legendary as the plague marking Ben Hogan's famous 1-iron shot, but it will at least be in the same discussion:

The 2009 Open was the last of Phil's five runners-up at the U.S. Open. He might just retire if he gets a sixth this year, or he might hurt himself displaying those wicked hops if he happens to pull out the win.

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Phil Mickelson Takes the Lead With an Eagle On the 10th

Ken Dorset — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 17:46:03 -0400

Phil Mickelson takes the lead at the U.S. Open with an eagle on the 10th hole at Merion.

Phil is good, and he knows it.

I told Phil one day he's pretty good with his wedges, he replied "no, I'm really f'ing good with them" #legend #usopen
— Colt Knost (@ColtKnost) June 16, 2013

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US Open Golf 2013: Biggest Surprises from This Weekend at Merion Club

Brian Mazique — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 08:30:00 -0400

The only thing certain at the 2013 U.S. Open is that every player in the field is within one shot of producing a round poor enough to eliminate him from contention. Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. has been that tough, and the leaderboard is just that tight.

This dynamic has set up what could be a thrilling final day of golf. The first three rounds of play have been filled with surprises. The three examples listed below are the most shocking.

Tiger Woods Never Made a Run

Most fans who know just how tough the Merion course is probably weren't expecting Tiger Woods to run away from the field. But how many people thought he'd be tied for 31st at nine over par for the tournament heading into the final round?

It seemed at some point he would at least put together one round that created the illusion that he was a serious contender.

This time, Woods didn't even tease us. He was 13th after the second round, but he needed a strong front nine on Saturday to create some hype.

He did birdie the first hole of the day, but from there he bogeyed six of the remaining 17 holes without another birdie. Woods will be an afterthought on Sunday.

Phil Mickelson Never Faded

Just as it seemed Tiger would do something Tiger-like and make a charge, many may have expected Phil to do something Phil-like and fade away.

Throughout his career, he's had the disastrous day or hole that ruins an otherwise solid performance. That didn't happen to Phil this time—at least not through three rounds. He still has the final day to appease his critics, but he's heading into Sunday with a one-shot lead.

If he can just produce an even-par day, he has an excellent chance to capture his first U.S. Open title.

Everyone Had At Least One Day of Struggles

Usually there is at least one player who has simply been locked in. Despite the difficulty of the course, normally there is one guy who was never above par for a round.

That hasn't been the case at the 2013 U.S. Open. Every player in the field has had a day over par. That speaks to the shear difficulty of the course, and it forces you to appreciate Mickelson's one-under par performance.

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US Open 2013: Odds for Every Player with a Chance to Win the Championship

Dan Levy — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 23:25:52 -0400

Ardmore, Pa. — Phil Mickelson takes a one-stroke lead into the final round of the 2013 U.S. Open, but there are still nine players within five strokes of the lead heading into Sunday.

It's hard to win any major championship, but the combination of the major-championship pressure and the diabolical course conditions of this year's U.S. Open at Merion make the field fairly wide open entering the last day of competition.

Sure, Mickelson leads the tournament, but that doesn't mean he will still be in the lead by the time he finishes the first hole. With six players within two strokes of the lead, there is certainly no guarantee Mickelson will even have the lead by the time he tees off on Sunday.

Surely, given the way he has played this week and the fact he is leading by a stroke, Mickelson has to be the favorite heading into Sunday. That said, Phil has a pretty nasty history with the U.S. Open, finishing second five times with no victories. Heartbreak is all too familiar to Mickelson, even if Sunday is his birthday.

What players have a chance to win? Let's take a look.

Begin Slideshow

Phil Mickelson, US Open, Father's Day, His Birthday & A Story That Writes Itself

Dan Levy — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 22:16:54 -0400

ARDMORE, Pa. — Phil Mickelson is writing this story for us. Not literally, of course, as the man is probably too tired to come down to the media center at the 2013 U.S. Open to write a few hundred columns after shooting an even-par 70 in the third round to take a one-stroke lead into the final round on Sunday.

Actually, get your rest, Phil. We don't even need you to write this story for us. The story writes itself.

Mickelson is leading the U.S. Open after 54 holes with a chance to finally win the major championship he's always wanted to win but never could.

Mickelson will tee off in the final round of the U.S. Open on Father's Day after spending the early part of the week jet-setting back and forth to California to attend his daughter Amanda's eighth grade graduation.

Yes, she's the same daughter Mickelson was expecting during the 1999 U.S. Open when he famously wore a pager—remember pagers?—so he wouldn't miss her birth. Yes, he's the best father on the planet. (I say that as a dad who is spending Father's Day with Phil Mickelson instead of his kids.)

"She told me that it's fine," Mickelson told us earlier in the week. "'Stay, it's the U.S. Open, I know how much you care about it.' And I told her that I want to be there. I don't want to miss that. I don't want to miss her speech. I don't want to miss her graduation. She spent nine years at that school. And she's worked very hard, and I'm very proud of her."

Phil Mickelson has a chance to win the U.S. Open on Father's Day, the week he put his daughter ahead of his craft? This story cannot get any better.

Until it does. It's Mickelson's birthday.

Lefty turns 43 years old on Sunday, and by the looks of his game this week, he is playing some of the best golf of his career.

"At 43, I feel as good as I've ever felt. I feel like I'm in better shape than I've been in years. I feel stronger than I've been, more flexible. And I've had no injuries or aches or pains. My body feels great."

This week for Mickelson is like one of those horrible movie scripts that is so sappy and dramatic and implausible that nobody will green-light it. Only, it's happening on Sunday and, win or lose, the ending is going to be something people will remember forever.

The only thing this story is missing is his family coming out to surprise him on the 18th green. And maybe a puppy with an injured paw Phil can mend on the 18th fairway. Yeah, we should figure out a way to include a puppy. Maybe Bones can stuff one in the bag just in case.

If Mickelson wins, it will be the biggest victory of his career since his first Masters, finally exorcising the U.S. Open demons after five second-place finishes.

If he loses, especially if something happens on the marvelously difficult 17th or 18th holes at Merion, this becomes his latest Winged Foot, and the story of Mickelson's dance with the U.S. Open has another disappointing chapter.

Whether it ends with triumph or tragedy, it's a story really only Mickelson could give us.

"I don't think I feel any more pressure than anybody else who wants to win the tournament, a major championship, the U.S. Open," Mickelson told reporters after his third round. "But it would certainly mean a lot to me that this is a tournament for years I've had opportunities, I've come close to, and it would mean a lot tomorrow if I could play some of my best golf. Certainly if I can play the way I have been."

He has been playing great. This course has been bringing the field to its collective knees, and through three rounds, Mickelson is the only player under par. He has been remarkably consistent from tee to green, and when he has gotten in trouble in the thick Merion rough, he has adeptly handled the adversity, putting himself in a position to save par.

Mickelson has just seven bogeys through 54 holes on a course that has forced 1,762 across the entire field. That's just bogeys, by the way. When you factor in doubles or worse, the average per player is just under six holes of bogey-or-worse golf per round.

Through those three rounds, Mickelson has 79 putts, just below the field average, but many of his misses were for birdie, not par. When he did miss, Phil was able to keep the ball close enough to the hole to have relatively easy tap-ins, lessening the pressure on the greens to grind out par- or bogey-saving putts hole after hole like many of the other players have had to do.

It's far less of a grind when you're missing birdie putts, not par putts. Had Mickelson dropped even half the putts on which he burned the edge or lipped out, he would be winning the tournament by four or five strokes.

"Today I hit a number of good putts that didn't quite go in. I had opportunities…and those opportunities will hopefully fall in tomorrow, because I'm getting the ball started on my line with the right pace, and I can't worry about what could be. I've got to go out tomorrow and play a good round."

Mickelson has been so remarkably solid at one of the most difficult courses in U.S. Open history that he is convinced he still has a low round in him. It would be crazy not to believe him. When asked what it would take to win his first U.S. Open, Mickelson was rather matter-of-fact.

"A good score tomorrow. I don't know what number that is, but I do believe I've got an under-par round in me tomorrow even with the difficult pins and the possibly firmer conditions."

Phil Mickelson. The U.S. Open. Father's Day. His birthday. Someone find a wounded puppy now. I have a feeling we may need it Sunday evening.

All quotes were obtained firsthand.

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US Open Golf 2013: Updated Betting Tips for Day 4 Action Following Day 3 Results

Brian Leigh — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 22:04:48 -0400

Phil Mickelson is nurturing a one-shot lead at the 2013 U.S. Open, the only player on the course at Merion Golf Club with a negative score through three rounds.

It's a story, at least through three rounds, that rings all too familiar for Lefty—a five-time U.S. Open runner-up with zero wins to supplement.

He'll be the favorite heading into Sunday, but because his lead is so thin and his history so bum, that might not necessarily make him the smartest wager.

Let's assess Mickelson's stock and look at some other possible bets.

*All odds courtesy of Bovada*

The Favorite: Phil Mickelson +200

Mickelson is the betting favorite going into Round 4, which is no surprise at all. What's interesting here is the line.

Bovada gives Mickelson 2-1 odds at winning his first U.S. Open. That seems like a smart line for the house—squares love to bet on the favorite, especially when that favorite is a fan...well, favorite—but not particularly fair to the bettor.

Think of it this way: Mickelson's odds imply, technically, that if they played out Round 4 twice, Mickelson would win one time. Doesn't seem crazy in such a small sample. But once you extrapolate that number—i.e., if they played the round 100 times, Mickelson would win 50—it starts to sound a little absurd.

Mickelson has never won the U.S. Open. He's finished in second five times, but betting tickets clearly read: MUST WIN TO PAY. Ricky Bobby's guiding principle doesn't translate in every case, but in the case of golf betting, it's righter than rain.

Don't get suckered by the favorite bet. Especially with Phil only leading by one. You can find better odds elsewhere.

The Best Bet: Jason Day +1200

Day doesn't get a fraction of the respect he deserves. His game isn't sexy and he doesn't appeal to sponsors. But time and time again, when you look up at the leaderboard in Round 4, there's his name, inconspicuous, sitting well within distance to strike.

Still only 25 years old (I thought he looked 35, too), Day is only now rounding into form—both mentally and physically. With three major top 10s now behind him, including second-place finishes at both the Masters and the U.S. Open, Day now knows fully how to handle himself in a round of this magnitude.

He's three shots off the lead after shooting a 68 on Saturday, the second-best score of the round (behind just Rickie Fowler who, at 33-1, is also an OK bet), quietly sneaking into contention as he all-so-frequently does.

Most impressive part of Day's round? Five birdies. On a day where players were thrilled to push even, Day made under par on 28 percent of his holes. If he can cut out a bogey or two Sunday, Day might be in position to finally finish above second.

The Long Shot: Michael Kim +20000

Trust me, I get it.

I get that he's a gangly 19-year-old, I get that he actually looks like a 15-year-old, and I get that a gangly 19-year-old who looks like a 15-year-old shouldn't be able to handle the enormity of this moment.

But just because he shouldn't doesn't mean he can't.

Michael Kim is not a fluke, people. He won the Jack Nicklaus Award as college golf's top golfer this season—he was just a sophomore, by the way—and is head-and-shoulders above the rest of his fellow amateurs at Merion. He isn't as talented as his competition, but he's talented enough to be this close to them, which means he's certainly talented enough to play one more round of their caliber.

We've seen older golfers shy away from smaller moments. Much older golfers. Maybe there's something to Michael Kim's youth? Maybe he owes his success in this tournament, in part, to the blinders of his naivete? Maybe a wiser man would grasp the magnitude of this tournament and choke?

I don't know the answers to those questions and neither do you. All I know is this: Michael Kim is listed at 200-1 despite being five shots off the lead. Meanwhile, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson, Nicolas Colsaerts, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and John Senden—all of whom are (a) six shots off the lead, and (b) zero-time major champions—are listed as heavier favorites.

I'll take the young guy in a heartbeat. At the very least he'll be fun!

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US Open 2013: Will a Big Name Clinch 1st Major Title at Merion?

James McMahon — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 21:46:06 -0400

The USGA claims it sets up the U.S. Open every year to identify the best golfer in the world. At Merion Golf Club this week, the organization is doing an even better job of highlighting the best golfers in the world without a major championship to their credit.

At the close of Saturday’s grueling third round of the 2013 U.S. Open, only two golfers among the top 15 players within six shots of the lead have won a major championship, meaning Sunday could be an epic day for one of a handful or so major-less golfers seeking a career-defining moment at Merion.

It is, however, four-time major winner Phil Mickelson who enters Sunday’s final round with the solo lead and is undoubtedly the favorite with 18 holes left to play.

Yet should he falter, and 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel fail to rally for a second major title, the golfer holding the U.S. Open trophy Sunday evening (or perhaps Monday) will be celebrating a life-changing first major victory just as Adam Scott did three months ago at the Masters.

It could be Hunter Mahan who is paired with Mickelson and trails by a single stroke. Maybe it’s putting-savant Steve Stricker who also lives just one back of the lead. Perhaps it will be former World No. 1 Luke Donald, who enters the final round two behind Lefty.

Truth is, there’s no telling who among the major winless will rise to the challenge on Sunday, but one thing is for sure—it will be the most significant test of their careers no matter who it is.

Not only is there the pressure of trying to win that breakthrough major, but there’s also the daunting challenge of doing it against Mickelson, who will undoubtedly be the crowd favorite on every hole at Merion.

Lefty isn't just seeking his fifth major and first since 2010, he’s on a quest to win his first U.S. Open after five painful second-place finishes that have served as the most significant blemish on his otherwise impressive career resume.

Considering he has the lead after a gusty even-par 70 on Saturday and all the experience and confidence in the world, the road to a first major win for the rest of the challengers not named Schwartzel goes directly through the desperately motivated Mickelson.

As if winning a first major isn't difficult enough, toppling one of the most popular golfers on a career quest in the process is just off the charts crazy tough.

Yet that’s what faces the likes of Donald, Mahan, Stricker, Justin Rose and even Jason Day, who is only three back after a solid two-under 70 on Saturday. No one said winning a major championship is easy, and it most certainly will not be for any of them on Sunday.

The reward for any of them, however, is well worth the test they will have endured.

In the modern age of golf, careers are defined by whether an accomplished golfers wins a major or not. Think about it, the first paragraph of a bio for golfers such as Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia includes "hasn't won a major championship."

There's an elevated hierarchy that Donald, Stricker, Mahan and the others have a chance to climb into on Sunday. Win and their careers are elite, lose and they will still lack a defining moment. It might not be fair, but it is the reality they face and the opportunity they have in the final round at Merion.

That said, perhaps more than any of the chasers, it’s Donald who has the most to gain but also the most pressure on him.

The former World No. 1 has struggled to live up to expectations in major championships, especially at the U.S. Open where he has never before contended, much less even finished in the top 10.

Donald will have to shake off a disastrous double-bogey on the 18th hole Saturday and will have the weight of an entire nation on his shoulders as he tries to become the first Englishman to win a major since Nick Faldo in 1996.

Fellow countryman Justin Rose also shares that burden, but the expectations on him pale in comparison to the ones Donald takes to the first tee at Merion on Sunday. Like Donald, Rose starts Sunday only two shots back of Lefty and at the doorstep of his best chance to win a major championship in his somewhat underachieving career to this point.

Perhaps the two with the best shot of denying Mickelson are Mahan, who will walk alongside Lefty all day, and Stricker, who has been among the steadiest of golfers at Merion this week. Neither of those two Americans has anything near the pressure Donald, or for that matter Mickelson does, but both have game’s ideally suited for the U.S. Open test.

That’s not to say, however, that Stricker and Mahan don’t desperately want to win a major championship—they absolutely do.

The difference is they don’t carry anyone else’s expectations other than their own around Merion on Sunday, and that could be a significant advantage for them when the round turns to the downright brutal back nine and the pressure ramps up.

Perhaps the most interesting of all the wanting first-time winners is Day, who seemed to come out of nowhere Saturday to get into contention in a major for the second time this year.

Day finished third at Augusta National in April and is quite familiar with final round major pressure.

The long-hitting Aussie can put away the disappointment of two Masters near-misses in the past three years by continuing his weekend charge to a U.S. Open title on Sunday. It would also elevate Day to right alongside McIlroy as one of the brightest young golfers in the world.

Since the week at Merion began, there has been a sense that something special and unexpected was going to take place in the 2013 U.S. Open. Any one of the major-less golfers breaking through and winning Sunday would certainly qualify for the unexpected portion of that equation.

Yet from the start it just seems like this tournament was destined to be Mickelson’s, and no one would argue that he deserves it as much as any golfer ever has. For many on the leaderboard without a major, their day will eventually come.

But this Father’s Day will be Mickelson's, and everyone, including those chasing him in the final round, will stand and applaud.

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US Open Golf 2013: Complete Analysis of Day 3 Leaderboard

Brian Leigh — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 20:49:29 -0400

Round 3 of the 2013 U.S. Open is in the books from Merion Golf Club, and although the weather was kinder than it was during the week, the course was equally draconian.

Major shakeups occurred at the top, middle and bottom of the leaderboard, with some familiar faces plummeting out of contention (*cough* Tiger Woods), while relative nonpersons ascended to the top.

Here's a look at the post-Day 3 leaderboard, followed by a complete analysis of its contents:

The Leader: Phil Mickelson (-1)

Lefty's got a decent Oxbow impression, not necessarily leading wire-to-wire but front-running from the get-go nonetheless.

He's famously incompetent down the stretch at U.S. Opens, tying for second place an absurd five times despite never coming out on top. His success at Augusta earned him a short respite from vitriol, but with another bad performance on Sunday, those demons could resurface on a national stage.

The only person who can stop Mickelson on Sunday is Mickelson. He's been the best player through three rounds, and to be perfectly frank, the rest of the field is lucky to only trail him by one. One putt here and one break there are all that stands between Mickelson and a more considerable buffer.

But still, this is the U.S. Open we're talking about—a tournament where Mickelson has come up with multiple creative ways to lose. Only time can tell if he will buck the trend.

One Stroke Back: Hunter Mahan (E), Steve Stricker (E), Charl Schwartzel (E)

Uber-steady Stricker finished his round with pars, but beyond that, Mickelson's top competition all stumbled into the clubhouse. Mahan, Schwartzel and partner Luke Donald (+1) all finished bogey-bogey on the last two holes, Donald's 18th bogey of the double variety.

Still, even with Mickelson playing inspired golf, and even though they aren't below par, Mahan, Stricker and Schwartzel find themselves within one shot of the lead going into Sunday. They aren't strangers to the circumstances, either.

Stricker has finished top 10 at every major tournament, including two U.S. Open top fives in the late '90s. Mahan, who will play in the final group with Mickelson, has finished in the top 10 of three major tournaments. And Schwartzel, who won The Masters just two years ago, finished top 10 at Bethpage in 2009.

Throw in former world No. 1 Donald, who is breathing down Mickelson's neck, and it's clear that Sunday won't be short on drama.

The Dark Horse: Rickie Fowler (+3)

I wrote before the week that Fowler was a name to watch, and even after a brutal second-round 76, my gut didn't let me give up on him. Usually, Fowler betrays that confidence. But on Saturday, he made me look smart.

Fowler shot a 67 on Saturday, the best round out of anybody on the course. His only bogey came on the should-be-par-five fifth hole, which was sandwiched between four third-round birdies.

For some reason, he didn't get any airtime on NBC—though his playing partner, Sergio Garcia, managed to find airtime twice on the blogosphere—but Fowler crept up the leaderboard all afternoon. Now, with 18 holes left to play, he sits just three strokes over par and four shots behind the leader.

Fowler has never flirted with a major before. He's flirted with flirting with a major, but never before has he been this close this late. The golfers above him include notorious major-chokers (Donald) and Open-cursed players (Mickelson) instead of guys with success in this position.

If he shoots another 67 or 66, who among this field is a lock to break even-par? Fowler might have an actual chance.

The Former Champs: Ernie Els (+6), Rory McIlroy (+8), Tiger Woods (+9), Webb Simpson (+11), Geoff Ogilvy (+11)

Five former U.S. Open champs made the cut in 2013, and entering Round 3, all of them were in good to decent shape. Here's where they stood on the overnight leaderboard:

Pos.	Name	Score
T17	Tiger Woods	+3
T17	Rory McIlroy	+3
T17	Ernie Els	+3
T23	Geoff Ogilvy	+4
T43	Webb Simpson	+6

Not exactly front-running but not too shabby either, right? At least they were close.

But that was then and this is now. And now, after shooting a combined 26 shots under par on Saturday, all five former champs find themselves out of contention and then some.

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Phil Mickelson at US Open Golf 2013: Day 3 Recap and Twitter Reaction

Alex Ballentine — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 20:44:31 -0400

Phil Mickelson took the next step in his quest to capture his first career U.S. Open title on Saturday, shooting one-under par to remain atop the leaderboard in Round 3 action.

"Lefty" started Day 3 with plenty of pressure to continue his standout play at Merion. According to ESPN Stats & Info, he's been the 36-hole leader at the U.S. Open three times now but failed to win in his previous two attempts.

In the early going, it appeared that Mickelson would be adding to that trend. As Bob Harig of ESPN tweeted, Mickelson failed to collect a single birdie in the first few holes and fell three back from the lead.

However, Mickelson wasn't done quite yet. He survived the opening nine holes with just two bogeys and collecting seven pars to open up his round, slowly gaining momentum on the greens. Putts like this one are the reason he remained in contention despite the rocky start.

Hitting the back nine, Mickelson played them as well as anybody has in the tournament. He started out with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 9 and 10. His short game was sharp as he placed several shots, including this one, near the hole.

He would par holes 11-16 and miss an opportunity to take the lead with a birdie putt on No. 16. But he soon made up for it by regaining the top position with this clutch putt on No. 17.

Mickelson would go on to bogey No. 18 but retained the clubhouse lead on Day 3 at Merion with even-par for the day and one-under par for the tournament.

As Mike Shumann of ABC7 pointed out, Lefty could be in for the greatest day ever. He will turn 43 on Father's Day with a shot at capturing another U.S. Open.

With one of golf's biggest stars angling for a title after three career runner-up finishes, many viewers, including Seth Davis of CBS, will be glued to the TV.

Regardless of how he finishes, Lefty is making the final day of the U.S. Open compelling. Sunday could wind up being one of his finest moments.

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Phil Mickelson: Could Backspin Cost Him the US Open?

Kathy Bissell — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 20:17:25 -0400

ARDMORE, Pa. — Yes, Phil Mickelson has the lead, thanks to a fortuitous birdie at the 17th. But it might have been more of a lead.

While most people focus on Mickelson’s lip outs or missed fairways, as Saturday afternoon became Saturday evening at Merion Golf Club, I wondered if Mickelson’s backspin, that shot golf fans love to see, could cost him the U.S. Open?

It’s tempting to use that shot on Merion’s greens which primarily slope from back to front. It’s a crowd pleaser—throw the ball beyond the pin onto slippery backboards with world-class spin and let it trickle back toward the hole.

It should provide an uphill putt, which is less risky on fast greens. But sometimes, it doesn’t quite work out. Sometimes, the trickle-back theory ends up with a ball that rolls back eight or 10 or 12 feet past the hole instead of cozying up to the pin. Then, the birdie opportunity becomes a par.

Greg Norman used to be the king of spinning the ball. He had more backup than Michael Jackson’s moonwalk. He achieved it because of the powerful way he delivered the club. Norman had enormous clubhead speed.

It was something most golfers, pros and amateurs alike, could only dream of creating. In his case, it often worked to his advantage. But on the ninth hole at Augusta in 1996, he spun the ball off the green and all the way back down to the fairway. It was the beginning of the slide.

Once, while doing instructional videos with Fred Couples for The Golf Show (which I owned and produced), I asked him why he did not spin the ball back. It was his answer that came to mind today watching Mickelson play.

What Couples said was that early in his career, he used to spin the ball a lot and used to back the ball up on greens. He said he made a change after doing that for a few years. He said the reason was that he knew how far he could hit a shot, but he did not know how far he could spin it back.

Think about it. These guys stand out in the fairway talking about how far to cover a bunker or how far to the front of the green and then how far to the pin. They talk in terms of exact yardages. Johnny Miller has said on telecasts in the past and has written it at his prime, he knew within a half a club how far he could hit it.

At a U.S. Open, that’s what you need—an exact yardage—not yardage with some undefined amount of backspin that you have to guess because you can’t predict it. Jack Nicklaus, in addition to knowing his yardages cold, had the added bonus of hitting a controlled fade most of his career.

A fade comes in softer than a draw. So at tournaments with fast greens, Nicklaus had the skill to hit to an exact yardage and the ability to land the ball softly. It’s a lethal combination at a major championship.

If you are a Mickelson fan, you know he’s not called "Phil the Thrill" for nothing. He lives for this stuff. He’s never played stress-free golf in his life. So keep your fingers crossed on Sunday and hope the backspin is not his undoing.

Kathy Bissell is a Golf Writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand or from official interview materials from the USGA, PGA Tour or PGA of America. Bissell produced and owns the rights to The Golf Show which aired in syndication for 10 years.

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US Open Golf 2013: Contenders to Watch Entering Day 3

Jeremy Fuchs — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 09:23:21 -0400

As Day 3 of the U.S. Open 2013 gets underway, the contenders at Merion are beginning to come into focus.

Here's how the leaderboard looks like heading into Day 3:

Which have the best chances of separating themselves from the field?

Billy Horschel

Horschel is playing the best golf of his career at the right time. The 26-year-old hit all 18 greens in Round 2. Despite being an unknown to many, Horschel has been having a terrific year. He won the Zurich Classic, finished tied for second at the Shell Houston Open, tied for third at the Valero Texas Open and tied for ninth at the RBC Heritage.

After dealing with injuries early in his career, Horschel is finding his stride. Horschel told Sports Illustrated that his game has changed as he's gotten older:

"I've acquired some patience," Horschel said. "Not as much as I wish I had. But I just think that the older I get, the more mature I get on the golf course, the more I understand that if I do have a bad stretch of holes, I don't hit the panic button right away."

The biggest question for Horschel is if he can continue this play. And if he does, how will he deal with the pressure? This is the biggest moment of Horschel's career. Was Round 2 a fluke? Was it simply a a case of a good golfer getting lucky?

Or, does Horschel have what it takes to continue this remarkable run?

The start to Day 3 will be a great indicator. If he gets off to a hot start, then the slipper will still fit for this Cinderella story. If he wilts under the pressure, it will be seen early. The more he plays like this, the better chance he has.

Phil Mickelson

Lefty is back. Although he didn't have the best Round 2, Mickelson is still tied for the lead.

He hit just one birdie, but his 72 for the day was enough to get him under par. He told ESPN he was happy with his performance:

I played really well. Even though I shot 2 over, it was the birdie opportunities that I didn't capitalize on. Had I made one on 2 or that birdie on 8 or 9 or 11, I would have changed kind of the momentum of the round. I played well today even though I didn't feel the score was what I thought it should be.

In order to keep up with Horschel, Mickelson will need to start hitting more birdies. His first round helped him survive the only decent second round. But now that the leaderboard is a bit more crowded, Mickelson's putter will need to be more consistent.

Still, he is crushing his irons, hitting 75 percent of both greens and fairways. That will keep him in it. But the more his putter betrays him, the less of a chance he has of winning.

Luke Donald

Luke Donald had a disappointing second round, but he still in contention. He was a two-over 72, including four consecutive bogeys on the back nine.

His first-round performance, in which he shot two under, gives him a chance. But which golfer will show up for Day 3? Will it be the smooth one that made Merion look easy in the first round? Or the golfer who couldn't find his stroke and let Merion beat him?

The weather certainly had an impact, but with the day setting up to be gorgeous, Donald has a chance to regain his first-round swagger.

He's just one shot back. If his putter can get back into form. For his part, Donald is keeping calm, telling the Telegraph that:

“You don't panic in the US Open,” he said. “US Opens notoriously get more difficult as the week goes along. The pin positions were difficult and even the short ones were difficult to read. This is a tough course.”

Look for Donald to put a big third round, and gain a steady hold on the lead.

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Projecting Phil Mickelson's Day 3 Score at 2013 US Open

Brian Mazique — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 08:00:00 -0400

After an odd second round, Mickelson finished the day with a share of the lead at one under par at the 2013 U.S. Open. Mickelson missed a bevy of opportunities, but ultimately his ability to maintain pars and sink a clutch birdie on 18 salvaged the day.

With the Merion Golf Course playing so tough, Mickelson may only need to maintain par the rest of the way to win the tournament. Here is a projection of Mickelson's day on Saturday.

Par Threes

On Thursday, he was masterful on the short holes. He birdied two of his four opportunities and the two-under par helped to spur Lefty to his three-under 67.

He wasn't quite as good on Friday. He gave back one shot on the short holes, but maintained par on the other three.

These are tricky holes, and sustaining excellence on them will be difficult. Mickelson can easily be as bad as he's been good previously. We should expect a fall off from Mickelson on the par threes on Saturday.

He is a gambler, no matter the course. He'll likely be two over on this aspect of his day.

Par Fours

On the 12 par-four holes at Merion, Mickelson has been extremely consistent. He's even par through the first two rounds of play, and that is the primary reason he is in position to win the tournament.

He has to remain solid here if he wants to stay in the hunt, though. Unfortunately for Mickelson, I believe he's headed for a rough day. He flirted with disaster on Friday, but on Saturday he will find it.

A birdie-less day with three bogeys will doom Mickelson's third round.

Par Fives

There are only two par five holes at Merion, but by the end of the day, Mickelson will be wishing there were more. He's parred both holes in the first two rounds, but on Saturday he'll have the majority of his success on the long holes.

Birdies on both holes will make Mickelson's otherwise horrible day a little more bearable.

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Phil Mickelson Is Inches Away from Running Away with the 2013 US Open

Dan Levy — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:57:26 -0400

ARDMORE, Pa.—Phil Mickelson nearly holed out his approach shot on the par-four eighth hole on Friday, settling for a quick but incredibly makeable birdie putt instead.

Phil missed the putt. He wasn't happy about it at all.

Usually smiling as he cascades through the gallery, Mickelson was brooding, muttering to himself the entire walk to the ninth tee while carrying his putter, practicing strokes on the tee box as he waited to hit his next shot.

Phil hit a fantastic tee shot on the long par-three ninth. He missed the putt again.

Phil missed another makeable putt on 11 and burned the edge with his birdie putt on 12 before inexplicably missing the comebacker, settling for a disappointing bogey.

Mickelson stepped to the 13th tee box reeling from the three-putt on 12 and put his tee shot over the green, into the bunker. In true Mickelson-like fashion, he nearly drained the bunker shot, just lipping out before rolling 20 feet past. Mickelson missed the putt, barely, for another bogey.

When he hit the hardest stretch on the golf course, however, the stroke seemed to come back. He made pars on the 14th through 17th holes before sinking a fantastic birdie putt on the 18th green after the horn to stop play had sounded, daylight twinkling away on the horizon. It was a great finish for Mickelson, but hardly indicative of how he was rolling it for most of his second round.

"It was a touch off," Mickelson told me after the round. "I struggled with a lot of short putts today. And I've been putting really well.

"So hopefully tomorrow that—today will be an anomaly on the greens, I'll get it back tomorrow. I've been playing well. Today should not have been an over par round as well as I played."

Mickelson did admit that it was very difficult to putt on the greens at Merion after so much use the past few days.

"Quite honestly, after we had two waves of players going through, the greens weren't like they were yesterday morning. They were just pristine. With the field cut in half, I expect they'll be as pure as they were yesterday for us throughout the day."

While there may have been a few slight imperfections in the green, it was Mickelson's putter being less than perfect that was the bigger issue. He did explain why those green issues could impact the putting on surfaces this slick.

"When the greens are very fast like this and you have soft greens that get indentations and spikes and so forth, it's very hard to make putts because you can't hit them firm enough to hold the line."

Other than the poor tee shot on 13, Mickelson played a nearly flawless round from tee to green on Friday. Truly, had he not burned a few edges and lipped a few putts out, he could have carded as least an even-par 70 and potentially, with a little luck, a legitimate 68.

Imagine a four-shot swing on Phil's round on Friday. Imagine Phil starting the third round of the U.S. Open not tied for the lead, but four shots clear of the field, five under. That is how good he played on Friday, but also how close he was to something really special.

You know, I almost wrote that's how good he played, but how poorly he putted, but that wouldn't be fair. He didn't actually putt all that poorly. Other players would miss makeable putts and have the ball roll four or five feet past the hole. Phil's pace was impeccable all day, and other than the silly three-putt on the 12th hole, there really weren't any enormous mistakes on the greens.

Phil missed some putts, but he played well enough that he was missing birdie putts, not par putts. That had to be a relief.

"I got shut out today," Phil told the assembled reporters after his round. "I played really well. Even though I shot two‑over, it was the birdie opportunities that I didn't capitalize on. Had I made one on two or that birdie on eight or nine or 11, I would have changed kind of the momentum of the round.

"I played well today even though I didn't feel the score was what I thought it should be."

The misses didn't cost him too much, as he is still tied for the lead heading into the weekend with some of the field still finishing up their second round. And as many putts as he left on the course on Friday, he got the one that mattered most.

He got the last one. On Saturday, Phil just has to concentrate on getting the next.

Other Phil Notes

• Phil hit another ball in the creek on the fifth hole on Friday. He saved par again. He may want to aim to the right on Saturday.

• On the sixth hole, an enormous groundhog ran out of the trees, crossed the fairway and ran into the gallery, much to everyone's delight. When he ran back across the other way, one clever fan yelled "Punxsutawney Phil," which Mickelson (and all of us) thought was pretty hilarious.

• While all players snack during their rounds to keep energy up, Mickelson had what looked like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the seventh tee. It had the most jelly of any sandwich I have ever seen.

• Not to be outdone, Mickelson's playing partner, Steve Stricker, ate an apple on the 11th hole, putting it on the fairway between shots before rubbing it off on his pants and taking another bite. Thankfully, Phil didn't put the jelly sandwich on the fairway. The mud is sticky enough.

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Why the Masters-US Open Double Is So Tough to Accomplish

James McMahon — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:03:22 -0400

Adam Scott’s efforts to add a 2013 U.S. Open title to his career-making Masters triumph were essentially doomed even before he arrived at Merion Golf Club this week; he just didn't know it.

Not because winning at Augusta National and then at the USGA’s signature event isn't possible; it just turns out you have to be an immortal golfer to accomplish it.

Since the Masters was first played in 1934, only five golfers have managed to win a green jacket in April and then follow it up with a U.S. Open triumph three months later. The golfers were Tiger Woods (2002), Jack Nicklaus (1972), Arnold Palmer (1960), Ben Hogan—who accomplished the impressive feat twice (1951, 1953)—and Craig Wood (1941).

With Scott’s second-round implosion leaving him as an afterthought at the start of the weekend, Tiger’s 2002 back-to-back display will likely remain the last time the two championships were held by the same player.

In fact, outside of three near-misses by Phil Mickelson, it really hasn't been close to happening since.

Scott learned just how incredibly tough it is to back up Masters glory with a U.S. Open victory on Friday, when his second-round 75 essentially knocked him out of contention. He begins Saturday eight shots out of the lead, with a valley full of golfers in between him and the lead of Mickelson and Billy Horschel.

Although no study has been done nor mathematical equation solved that would explain why it’s so difficult to win both tournaments consecutively, we do have some theories of our own.

The two events are played three months apart, so perhaps it’s just too difficult to keep the momentum from one going to the other.

It may be that the demands placed on winning at Augusta National are so different than those required in the U.S. Open that few golfers have the game to win at both. Consider this: During the past two decades, only Tiger and Angel Cabrera have wins in both the Masters and the U.S. Open.

During that same stretch, extremely talented golfers, such as Ernie Els, Nick Faldo and Mickelson, have won one or the other but not both.

Speaking of Mickelson, he’s a perfect example of just how tough it is to get it done at the U.S. Open after breaking through at Augusta. Lefty has won the Masters three times—in 2004, 2006 and 2010—and each time he has contended at the U.S. Open only to come up short.

The most painful of those losses came in 2006 when he blew a one-shot lead on the 72nd hole at Winged Foot and lost to Geoff Ogilvy.

At least Mickelson came close to pulling off the double each time he won the Masters; most others haven’t come close. Bubba Watson followed his emotional Masters win with a missed cut at the Olympic Club. Cabrera finished 54th in his effort after winning the green jacket in 2009. In 2008, Trevor Immelman was worse than that.

Perhaps those players, like Scott this year, have found it difficult to regain their form after such a career-defining victory. For players like Woods, Mickelson, Nicklaus and Palmer, the victory was just one of many major triumphs. For golfers like Immelman, it is likely the pinnacle of a career.

Since he won the green jacket in April, Scott has played in only two PGA Tour events, meaning the rust heading into Merion was significant. And it certainly showed on Friday, especially on the greens. Additionally, like all Masters champions before him, Scott has had enormous media and publicity duties in the three months between Augusta and Merion, and that likely has taken a toll as well.

Winning a major championship, especially a golfer’s first one, changes things tremendously in the short run, which doesn’t help when preparing for such a difficult test like the U.S. Open.

Of course, all of this is simple conjecture being used to explain one undeniable fact: Winning the U.S. Open after finding glory at Augusta is a feat only the greatest of the game can tackle. That will likely change at some point along the way, but for now it simply is what it is.

Just ask Adam Scott.

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2013 US Open: Phil Mickelson Again a Force to Be Reckoned With

Richard Leivenberg — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:39:40 -0400

His was not the name on the top of anyone's list going into Merion, but Phil Mickelson is showing once again why he cannot be underestimated whenever the U.S. Open rolls around.

The man whose five second-place finishes are the most in Open history has put himself in excellent position to make personal history and card his first win going into the weekend.

Leaving the best for last, Mickelson finished up a par-laden scorecard with a birdie on the 18th, the toughest hole on the course.

While the golf world wondered how Tiger Woods, Matt Kuchar, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott would perform this weekend, it is Phil who has emerged as the front-runner.

As darkness suspended Friday's round, Phil was tied for the lead with Billy Horschel at one under, the only two in the field in red numbers.

With its unforgiving rough, narrow fairways and table top, multi-tiered greens, Merion has shown itself a worthy opponent as reflected in the plethora of over-par scores.

Yet, Phil played near-perfect Open golf, at one point scoring 10 straight pars until lipping out a putt on No. 12. He followed that with another bogey on the 123-yard 13th hole and looked to be headed downhill as he approached the toughest stretch of the golf course.

Righting himself, he cruised through the last five holes in one-under.

Depending upon how you look at it, the round was either completely frustrating or tremendously uplifting.

Phil probably had as many birdie opportunities as he had pars. Yet, as the day went on, and the greens got faster, his putter let him down.

Still, probably no one else on the course, save Tiger, knows what it takes to perform at a high level at an Open tournament, and Lefty just kept plugging and grinding. That is what 13 pars tells you.

On a day when just about the entire field fell backward, Phil's round of 72 must have felt like a 65.

He is playing with remarkable iron control, hitting 75 percent of both his greens in regulation and fairways. He has forsaken his driver for fairway woods and irons off the tee. He is playing to his second shot, managing the course, avoiding the rough and getting out of trouble in typical Lefty fashion.

Take hole No. 2 where he flew the ball onto the green from a fairway trap, a seemingly inescapable lie that he turned into a par.

At the 313-yard ninth hole, he mishit his drive, knocked the next shot in the sand, then pounded the ball out of the sand within inches of the cup.

On the next hole, he drove it 240 in the middle of the fairway to set himself up for a pitch shot to the 10th green. His next shot landed just 20 feet from the cup. Another par.

Remember, pars at the Open are like birdies on any other course, and Phil showed his complete understanding of that concept.

From the time Phil decided to go to this daughter Amanda's eighth grade graduation in California, leaving him an all-night flight back to Merion to make his early morning tee time, Phil has been in control.

For whatever reason, golf pundits had failed to recognize Phil's uncanny ability to play at the highest level at the Open. Kind of silly when you think not only about his record at Open tournaments but that he had just finished second at the St. Jude Classic and third at the Wells Fargo Championship in early May.

The last four Open winners have all been first-timers.

Phil can add his name to the list by continuing to grind his way around Merion.

He might also want to sleep in his plane tonight.

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US Open Golf 2013 Leaderboard: Expert Reaction to Day 2 Results

Steven Cook — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:25:33 -0400

A weather-shortened Thursday at the 2013 U.S. Open meant a long Friday for many of the contenders at Merion Golf Club, and a tougher course resulted in leading scores dipping dramatically.

Every golfer in the field finished Friday at or over par for the tournament other than co-leaders Phil Mickelson and Billy Horschel, who sit at one-under according to ESPN SportsCenter.

Mickelson was the story of Day 2 before he even teed off, as his first round score of 67 looked like it would give him a big advantage heading into the weekend. But after starting strong, he found himself back with the rest of the pack of leaders after missing a slew of putts which he talked about with the PGA Tour.

However, it was his green game that offered the biggest moment of Day 2, as a 25-footer dropped in for birdie on 18 just after the horn sounded to end play for the day. The birdie gave him a tie for the lead.

Lefty's putter may have failed him at other times Friday in his attempt to win his first U.S. Open, as ESPN's Bob Harig noted, but the impact of his ability to finish strong with a lengthy putt cannot be understated.

Mickelson's great play and a late arrival to Merion early Thursday, as well as Justin Rose's performance (one shot off the lead) had Golf Channel host Gary Williams making a cross-sport reference:

Here's a look at the live leaderboard, courtesy of PGA Tour:

Much of the action took place before Lefty even stepped into the tee box, most notably with the super-trio pairing of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott. Woods and McIlroy each posted a 70, and are only four shots back at three-under, which they couldn't have expected upon finishing their round. But Scott struggled.

The 2013 Masters champion shot five-over for the day, currently sitting at seven-over par for the tournament. Such a number after two rounds of a major wouldn't likely make the cut, but due to the pedestrian scores around the field, his score was safe, and Associated Press golf writer Doug Ferguson was quick to point it out.

But even with crowd-favorite Mickelson leading and Scott struggling, the bulk of the talk will continue to revolve around Woods. His improvement from a 73 on Thursday to a 70 on Friday, plus cutting down his bogeys from six in the first round to three in the second, gives glimmers of hope.

However, ESPN's Justin Ray was quick to point out a disappointing stat for Tiger:

A big name heading into the weekend was Justin Rose, the South African who has come so close to winning a major so many times. He's shown so far that he'll be a major contender throughout the weekend, and as Iain Carter of BBC Sport proves, it's largely due to his success on the fairways.

We can talk about the big names all day, but don't take anything away from Horschel. The 26-year-old hasn't been in many major tournaments (or any big tournaments, really), but he's had a break-through year in 2013 and is showing it so far on a gritty Merion course.

ESPN Stats and Information dug up an incredible statistic from Horschel's second round. Actually, incredible might be an understatement:

Ray also chimed in on Horschel's round, showing us just how far above the average his play was.

It seems that every year and in every major, a player like Horschel bursts onto the scene who not many golf fans have heard of and creates buzz heading into the weekend.

All too often, those players fade quickly on Saturday's moving day and Sunday's final round. But when they save their best golf for last, new stars are born.

Could Horschel be one of those next stars, or will he fade like so many before him?

One thing is for sure, though. Merion doesn't seem to be cooperating with any golfer who is looking to have himself a big weekend.

There have been plenty of talking points so far at Merion in this year's U.S. Open. Tiger is in search of ending a five-year drought. Lefty is going for his first ever win in America's championship. Course conditions and a daunting setup at Merion are proving to have a big impact on players.

But if the play of Horschel and the unpredictability of this year's action is any indication, more storylines are bound to start brewing as Saturday and Sunday roll around.

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US Open Golf 2013: Updated Reaction to End-of-Day 2 Leaderboard

David Daniels — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:09:30 -0400

Phil Mickelson finished Day 2 of golf’s 2013 U.S. Open strong with a birdie to bring him to one-under par and in a tie for the lead with Billy Horschel.

Mickelson shot a 67 in the first round and entered the second alone at the top of the leaderboard. Horschel equaled his Day 1 effort with a 67 of his own. Lefty’s back-to-back bogeys on 12 and 13, giving him three bogeys on the outing, helped knot the two at the top of the standings.

Here is the leaderboard at the end of Day 2 and a reaction to the action.

Tiger Woods, who won his third and most recent U.S. Open in 2008, shook off Day 1 arm pain to shoot even on the day. The 2008 U.S. Open was also his most recent victory in a major championship, as he rides the longest drought of his career into Ardmore, Pa.

He will enter Saturday with a score of three-over par. That score prompted ESPN Stats & Info to predict his demise.

Tied for 17th and four strokes behind the leader, he must improve in the second half of the U.S. Open to come back and win the tournament. ESPN’s Justin Ray noted that such a comeback isn’t improbable. At a time when Woods was in worse shape, tied for 29th, Ray reminded his Twitter followers to not forget how last year's champion won the Open.

According to Official World Golf Ranking, Billy Horschel is the 50th best player in golf. His position on the leaderboard would suggest he’s better than that. He sits at No. 2 after hitting three-under par on Friday and one-over par for the tournament.

Golf Digest’s Dan Jenkins compared Horschel’s outstanding outing to the rest of the field’s.

One key reason to Horschel’s success was his ability to hit greens, as ESPN’s Trey Wingo noted.

Given that Horschel is not a household name, but ranked the No. 50 player in the world, ESPN’s Rick Reilly felt obligated to provide a quick bio of the golfer.

Mickelson shares the U.S. Open lead now, but ESPN Stats & Info tweeted numbers that suggest Mickelson shouldn’t feel comfortable.

Not only are those numbers against Lefty, but his momentum is dwindling after shooting a 72 on Day 2. Ray countered with his own numbers, though, which suggest Mickelson's odds are high to hold his lead.

Mickelson has never won the U.S. Open, but he’s finished second five times. He’s in position to either break the former trend or continue the latter.

Luke Donald shared the lead at one point in the second round. He hit three birdies in a span of five holes on Friday, but that was only to undo the four straight bogeys he hit earlier.

The Chicago Tribune’s Teddy Greenstein reported how Donald described his Day 2 performance.

The former World No. 1 has never won a PGA Tour major, and the highest he’s ever finished at the U.S. Open is tied for 12th. Sitting tied for third, he—like Mickelson—is in position to shake the losing streak he rode into the tourney.

Several competitors didn't finish Round 2 due to a late start after Thursday's delay. The tournament's official Twitter account reported that play will resume at 7:15 ET on Saturday.

That is when, Ian Poulter, Cheng-Tsung Pan and Michael Kim—who were all shooting one- or two-under par and in the top eight when play ceased on Friday—will attempt to continue their climb up the leaderboard.

David Daniels is a breaking news writer at Bleacher Report and news editor at Wade-O Radio.

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US Open 2013 Results: Biggest Winners and Losers from Day 2 at Merion

James McMahon — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:53:43 -0400

It's safe to say things didn't go quite as expected Friday at the storied Merion Golf Club, which in and of itself might be the most impressive surprise of the 2013 U.S. Open to date.

Once considered too short to host the U.S. Open, Merion tested the mettle of every golfer that challenged it during the second round and took many of them out to the woodshed. Stars like Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood struggled at times, or over the course of the entire round.

Pleasant surprises also emerged, including Billy Horschel and Steve Stricker, who somewhat unexpectedly sit high on the leaderboard as we turn to what should be an exciting weekend.

Here are the biggest winners and losers on a day that was so unpredictable at Merion that one player managed to make both lists.

Begin Slideshow

Phil Mickelson at US Open Golf 2013: Day 2 Recap and Twitter Reaction

Brian Mazique — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 20:46:29 -0400

Phil Mickelson finished second-round play at the U.S. Open one-under par overall after Friday's two-over 72. He was tied for the lead with Billy Horschel when he finished the day with some late starters still on the course.

Though it is hard to argue with a tie for first, Mickelson's day could have been much better.

Here is a look at the live leaderboard and Mickelson's scorecard:

Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., has been tough on everyone through two rounds. Because no one has been able to tame the course, Mickelson's less-than stellar day isn't looking quite so bad.

He has only himself to blame for not being in an even better position going into the weekend, though. Perhaps the fact that the Mashed Potato Heckler was back in action jinxed him:

Simply playing the course even on Friday would have given him a huge advantage, but his erratic putting made the day a bit of a struggle at times. Mickelson's issues began on the first hole.

Bogey on First Hole

The Boston Globe's Michael Whitmer tweeted this after Mickelson's day got off to a rough start:

Though it may have sounded negative, it proved to be prophetic as Mickelson would indeed bogey two more holes for the rest of the day.

Of the three holes he bogeyed on Friday, this one was perhaps the easiest to accept. Mickelson's early struggles tightened an already snug leaderboard even more. The official PGA Tour Twitter account commented:

Missed Opportunities Through the Front Nine

With legitimate opportunities for birdie on the second and eighth hole, Mickelson couldn't convert. After a stellar shot out of the bunker on No. 2, he had to settle for par.

On the eighth hole, he had an even better chance to regain the shot he lost on the first hole, but again came up short. He narrowly missed an eagle, but it seemed he was set up for a can't-miss, two-foot birdie.

Mickelson proved nothing is automatic in golf by botching the short attempt. KPMG Mickelson had this to say after Lefty missed the birdie putt on No. 8:

Mickelson's Woeful Two-Hole Stretch

Despite a few missed opportunities early, Mickelson was still having a decent day. This is the U.S. Open, so pars are more than acceptable. Up until the 12th hole, Mickelson had strung together 10 pars in a row.

That comfortable streak came to an end when he understandably missed a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 12, but he subsequently missed the come-backer putt that could have saved par.

Mickelson's woes continued on the 13th hole. On perhaps the easiest hole of the course, he again couldn't save par. ESPN's Bob Harig dished the cold, hard truth:

Per Sports Illustrated Golf on Twitter, that miss dropped Mickelson out of the lead, one shot behind Steve Stricker, Justin Rose and Horschel:

Saving the Best for Last

Just when it looked like Mickelson's second round would be the beginning of his undoing, he came up with a clutch birdie putt on 18 to regain a share of the lead. PGA Tour captured the essence of the moment that is vintage Mickelson:

Still in a Great Spot

Despite the missed putts that led to a two-over 72, Mickelson is still atop the leaderboard. Even if one of the late starters gets hot, it won't change the fact that Mickelson is in a great position to win the U.S. Open.

He'll need to shake off the mistakes and build off the birdie on 18 to create some distance between him and the field.

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