Phil Mickelson Misses Cut at 2016 Farmers Insurance Open: Comments and Reaction
Phil Mickelson had a fine start to the 2015-16 PGA Tour season but unfortunately fell short of his Hall of Fame standards at the Farmers Insurance Open.
The 45-year-old veteran opened with a solid three-under 69 at Torrey Pines Golf Club in San Diego but followed it with a four-over 76 in the second round, missing the cut by two stokes.
| Par | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Score | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Score | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 |
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"I don't have a good explanation,'' Mickelson said, per ESPN.com's Bob Harig. "I had a good round going, I was 1 under par and had some birdie holes coming up and I don't know, it just kind of slipped. I wasn't really as mentally sharp as I need to be.
According to the Golf Channel's Justin Ray, Mickelson's second-round 76 was his worst-ever score on the Torrey Pines North Course.
"Yesterday, I thought, 'Wow, it's really starting to feel good' after that round on the South course," Mickelson added, per Harig. "I thought I'm going to go to the North course and really light it up. I think I kind of started to press a little bit. But that stuff happens."
In addition to falling short in his bid for the career Grand Slam at the U.S. Open last year, Mickelson struggled to get anything going and hasn't been able to build on good finishes in recent seasons.
This week's unraveling showed he hasn't rediscovered sustainable form at the dawn of the new calendar year. It is especially discouraging since he tied for third in his prior start at the CareerBuilder Challenge.
Prior to his maiden event of 2016, Mickelson expressed concerns that wound up materializing this week in his birth city, per Golf Channel's Will Gray:
"My last two years have been disappointing to me, and I want to make this upcoming year one of the best years possible. I'm optimistic, but I'm also nervous because it's been a little while since I've played to the level I expect to.
When I analyze it and look objectively, my swing plane has not been what I need it to be. I've been having to save so many shots at impact with my hands, and if I can get my swing back on plane, and have very little adjustments at impact, then my feel, and my touch, and my shot-making ability will hopefully come back.
"
Still boasting plenty of power off the tee, Lefty has struggled with his irons, ranking 174th on tour in proximity to the hole and 177th in greens in regulation in 2014-15, per PGATour.com.
Time is running out for Mickelson to remain among the world's elite players, so he will have to dig deep and try to avoid the mistakes that have plagued him. He still has the firepower to make a lot of birdies, but he'll have to cut out the bigger numbers if he wants to remain competitive at the highest level.
Mickelson tends to remain optimistic no matter how dire any situation looks. Given his talent and past prowess, it makes sense, but his latest missed cuts will test his strong-willed mindset.
The good news is that he has plenty of golf left to play this season. Nevertheless, Mickelson has to be alarmed that his lackluster form from the past two seasons has carried over into this one.
Without a professional wins since his triumph at the 2013 Open Championship, the future seems cloudy for Mickelson, who is the most capable aging star, aside from perhaps the injured Tiger Woods (back), with a chance to challenge golf's emerging young guns.
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