Smriti Sinha

It’s time for Phil’s best shot

Will Phil Mickelson finally get the US Open title this time? The most talked about player - by Smriti SInha

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Phil Mickelson - Title drought at US Open to finally end?

 

By Smriti Sinha

 

The U.S. Open has proved to be Phil Mickelson’s Holy Grail. The first time he came teasingly close to kissing the trophy was at Pinehurst in 1999. But the late Payne Stewart pushed him to second place on the last three holes, denying Mickelson what would have been his first major. Almost 15 years and a record six U.S. Open runner-up spots later, Mickelson is back at the North Carolina sandhills in his quest to put the coveted championship against his name.

 

No other golfer without a U.S. Open trophy has had more than four runner-up finishes. And Mickelson has played 23 U.S. Opens and finished runner up in six.

 

What adds to the intrigue of this storyline this weekend is that if Mickelson wins the U.S. Open, it’ll also end his quest for the career Slam. Ever since he won the British Open last year, the noise of the U.S. Open being the elusive one has grown louder.

 

And Mickelson admits just how special it is to achieve the career slam in golf, for one because there are only five men who have won all the four majors in their career: Gary Player, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen. “I feel like the five players that have done that, have separated themselves from the other players throughout all time,” Mickelson said Tuesday at Pinehurst. “It shows that they have a complete game. If I’m able to do that, I feel I would look upon my own career differently,” Mickelson, who’s paired with defending champion Justin Rose, added.

 

That’s as big a statement as any golfer of his stature would make to accept that it’s playing on his mind, that he judges his career with that yardstick and that there will always be a gulf in golf between those who had the career Slam and those who didn’t.

 

In April at the Masters, Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth had a good fight going in their final round, but the tournament had its lowest weekend rating since 1993, one that many attribute to the absence of Tiger Woods. Sidelined with his back injury, Woods’ withdrawal from U.S. Open further puts the spotlight on Mickelson, bookies’ favorite Rory McIlroy and the last three Masters champions Bubba Watson, Adam Scott and Charl Schwartzel, who are grouped together for the tee off at Pinehurst.

 

Indian golf fans will be keenly following the progress of Shiv Kapur, who’ll be teeing off at U.S. Open for the first time after five attempts at qualifying. Kapur would be looking to draw from his experiences from The Open last year, where he surged to first round lead in the first round and finished as third after Day One.

 

But at Pinehurst, for now, the buzz is centered around Mickelson, who’ll turn 44 a day after the winner will be decided on Sunday. He doesn’t want the pressure to get to him but like he said: “I think that I’ll have a number of great opportunities in the future years, but this is certainly as good a chance as I’ll have.”

 

Smriti is a multimedia journalist trained at the Columbia School of Journalism and a former Indian Express sports reporter.

 

@smritisinhas 

 

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