Phil Mickelson Withdraws from Memorial After Shooting 79; Cites Fatigue

Hall of Fame golfer Phil Mickelson has withdrawn this evening from The Memorial after shooting a seven over par 79 this afternoon, according to PGATour.com .

Citing fatigue as the reason for withdrawal, Mickelson played the back nine holes in an amazing 42 shots. Par for those holes is 36. For the first time in his career, he played seven straight holes with a score of 5.

The 79 is the highest round of golf Mickelson has recorded since 2003. Twice that year, the final round at Pebble Beach and the opening round that November at the Chrysler Championship, Mickelson recorded an 80.

Mickelson has been playing a heavier than normal schedule this year. The Memorial, Jack Nicklaus' tournament in Dublin, Ohio, is his 13th tournament of the year. Last season, he played 21 in total.

Mickelson has played well this year. He has a win this year, defeating Tiger Woods at the AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. He also has five top-10 finishes, including a tie for third at The Masters and a tie for seventh at his last tournament, the HP Byron Nelson Classic two weeks ago.

He did not make immediately clear how long he intends to rest for. The United States Open is in two weeks in his home state of California, and it is fully expected he will play there at Olympic Club in San Francisco.