PINEHURST, N.C. — Phil Mickelson has won tournaments with two drivers in his bag, and no drivers; with five wedges, and with something called a Phrankenwood.
He even once switched irons after the opening round of the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, though he didn’t win that tournament, finishing second to Tiger Woods.
Now he’ll try to win his first U.S. Open using the claw putting grip after experimenting with it in Memphis last week.
“You have to be willing to take risks and be accountable,” said Mickelson to PGATour.com, who has finished runner-up in the U.S. Open six times, including in 1999 at Pinehurst.
Tuesday morning, Mickelson spent 30 minutes with Dave Stockton and his son working on the new grip. The idea was to eliminate the “pop” in Mickelson’s stroke and get him to roll the ball into the hole.
“I told him I don’t care what (grip) he uses,” Stockton said. “I want the thought process to be: ‘I want the ball dying in the hole.’
“I remember when he won the British Open last year, on 18 he had a long right-to-left putt and he slowly dropped it in. It must’ve had 2 feet of break. I told him that’s the feeling I want you to have.”
If nothing else, Mickelson certainly seems to feel excited about his chances this week — despite having endured so many heartbreaking losses in the U.S. Open. Never mind that he has also yet to finish in the top 10 of any tournament this season.
As for changing his grip on the eve of a major?
Stockton isn’t concerned. Neither is Mickelson, who might not even stick with it for that long.
“Ultimately I’ll go back to a regular grip,” Mickelson said. “But for now probably the coming weeks that helps me get the feel and flow back.”
And maybe a U.S. Open trophy, too.
Report by Brian Wacker for PGATour.com
