Phil’s US Open Antics Prove Why He Is The GLOAT
When someone says left-handed golfer, who is the first player you think of? If you didn’t answer Phil Mickelson, then you are probably lying. Ok, maybe a bit harsh. However, the numbers are there, the wins are there, the personality is there. We are witnessing history every time this man steps foot on the golf course. Yes folks, we are witnessing the GLOAT (Greatest Lefty Of All Time).
If you are reading this article, there is a pretty good chance you caught a glimpse of what ol’ Lefty got up to this past weekend. Coming in as one of the Vegas favourites to win the tournament, Phil came out with a disappointing 77 on Thursday. Uh oh, a missed cut perhaps. Not so fast, Phil shoots 69 Friday and gets to play the weekend. Paired with Beef Johnston on Saturday, Phil the thrill was all set for his 48th birthday round. Unfortunately for him, the conditions at Shinnecock Hills resembled those of a Wal-Mart parking lot more than a golf course. The “greens” were some sort of weird brown concrete and the pin placements were tougher than that friggin “ant-hill” hole at the local mini-golf course.
Phil was 4 over and looking at a downhill 18 footer for bogey on the 13th green. His putt was a bit hefty however and it was about to go flying down the hill and off the green into an impossible lie. But the GLOAT said “not today, not on my birthday” and hit the still-moving ball back towards the hole. For those new to golf, this is an automatic 2 stroke penalty. Phil would go on to make a 10 and laugh about it with Beef walking off the green. This wasn’t as cool as Roy McAvoy’s 12 at the US Open but it was still a pretty neat 10.
GOOD For Golf
The USGA decided not to DQ him despite his purposeful breaking of the rules. But really, who cares? So what if he hit a moving ball…we’ve all done it. This is one of the top 10 players in golf history (a discussion for another day perhaps), him doing stuff like this is GOOD for golf. John Daly is GOOD for golf. Happy Gilmore is GOOD for golf. Ok you get the point. After his 81 Saturday, Phil came out Sunday and shot 69 and had a blast doing it. There was a fan who was wearing a Donald Duck hat and following Phil around (why wouldn’t you). There are a lot of guys on Tour with no personality (I won’t name names) who would probably think the hat was stupid. Not Phil. Every time he saw this fan, he gave the hat a little rub for luck and had a bunch of fun with it. He’s always having a good time out there; perhaps making some wagers, signing stuff for the kids, laughing with other players etc.