Another tough pill for Phil
Phil Mickelson’s public persona is a polished one.
He’s Phil the Family Man (see daughter Amy’s eighthgrade graduation) and Phil thePhilanthropist (note the Phil and Amy Mickelson Foundation).
He’s also Phil the Thrill, with his penchant for derring-do a trademark of his 41 PGA Tour victories and four major titles, and an accessoryto heartbreaking defeats, most recently in last week’s U.S. Open at Merion Golf Course outside of Philadelphia.
He’s Phil the Friendly, a standup guy with the media, win or lose, and a tireless signer ofautographs to fans, win or lose, even last Sunday.
He’s Pitchman Phil, raking in more than $40 million per year in endorsements, about 10 times as much as he does on the course, ranking No. 7 on Forbes’ 2011 list of the highest-paid athletes.
Mickelson has everything except a U.S. Open trophy, which was his to win last Sunday until Philly Cheese turned into Phil with a Frown, and the dogpile began.
Don’t know if Golf Channel columnist Jason Sobel is a Mickelson hater. No matter, he thought last Sunday was time to wheel out a few anecdotes that portray a not-so-perfect Phil, a Mickelson so childish and nearsighted years ago that it almost makes you understand why Tiger Woods can barely stand to look at him.
The start of his column had to bring smiles to the faces of those who see Mickelson as Phony Phil.
“Years ago, back in the late ’90s, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson played a little money match between friends. The wager was, as Mickelson so often succinctly prefaces in these matches, ‘enough to keep you interested, but not enough tomake you uncomfortable.’
“On this day, Mickelson got the best of his younger rival, forcing Woods to fork over a few greenbacks after the round.Feeling a bit smug about his win over the Masters champion, Mickelson made a photocopy of the bills, then drew smiley faces on the dead presidents of the photocopy and left it hanging in Woods’ lockerwith a message: “They look much happier now!”
“That was their last money match between friends.
“Fast forward about a decade, the two players in the midst of a United States team celebration following a successful Presidents Cup campaign. Again feeling smug, Mickelson pointed out to Woods that he owned a much better individual record at the event.
“The insinuation grabbed Woods’ attention. He simply stared back at Mickelson, made a rectangular motion with his two index fingers, and replied, ‘Big picture.’
“Mickelson laughed recently at the recollection, knowing that his big picture - a clear image of one of the winningest golfers in the game’s history - still pales in comparison to that of Woods.
There is no shame in that, of course, but it’s hard not to think about how that picture could have been altered on the heels of yet another agonizing close call at the U.S. Open.”
Near the end, Sobel compared Mickelson to Greg Norman, the Australian known as much for his failures at major championships as his monumental success, inserting a comment Norman recently made to Forbes magazine regarding his Masters misfortunes. “Those are the ones when you start to wonder about destiny. But if I dwell on it too much, it starts to turn me into a friggin’ psychopath.”
About Mickelson, Sobel writes: “There’s an excellent chance Mickelson will forever live his life knowing this exact feeling,Quote of the day
“I know it sounds crazy,
but our kids just think something good is going
to happen, and, by the way, our coaches do, too.” Mississippi State Coach John Cohen, whose team has advanced to the College World Series finalwondering about destiny or golf gods or his own damned luck.
It could turn him into a friggin’ psychopath if he dwells on it too much. It could eat away at him if he lets it.”
Sports, Pages 20 on 06/22/2013