Second Thoughts

Search for Mickelson's ball dicey

Phil Mickelson sent his tee shot on the first hole in Friday’s PGA Championship so far out of bounds that television cameras caught it bouncing on a nearby road and heading for thick ivy. The search became an adventure because there were other balls that ended up on that street, but none of them identified as Mickelson’s
ball.
Phil Mickelson sent his tee shot on the first hole in Friday’s PGA Championship so far out of bounds that television cameras caught it bouncing on a nearby road and heading for thick ivy. The search became an adventure because there were other balls that ended up on that street, but none of them identified as Mickelson’s ball.

Phil Mickelson stepped to the first tee at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., on Friday afternoon and launched his shot a very far distance out of bounds. A blimp camera -- the only one in position to track the horrifically bad shot -- caught the ball bouncing on Shunpike Road and skipping across a driveway into thick ivy.

Within minutes, a crew of a half-dozen or so -- including golf fans who left the course, residents who lived nearby, a photographer and two reporters -- began combing the bushes looking for that elusive ball. They played cellphone video of the shot over and over, comparing it to the yards before them -- "there's the mark on the street, there's the two driveways, there's the bush -- it's gotta be in there!"

Zach Freeman, a recent graduate of Dayton High School, was the first to find a ball amid the ivy. It was a Titleist 6 with the stamp "PILGRIM" on it; Mickelson plays Callaways.

Jim Birch, a mailman and a volunteer at the tournament who lives a couple of blocks away, wandered over on his lunch break. He too pulled a ball from the bushes, but he also drew a Titleist.

A few houses down, John Maniace found a ball on his front lawn and yelped. A groan went through the bush searchers because he found another Titleist.

Right as the searchers were ready to disband, a shout and a ping were heard as another ball came bounding down the street. It bounced into the hands of Mara Friedman, a nearby resident who was on the phone asking her husband to use the TV replay to help guide the crew toward Mickelson's wayward ball.

The searchers didn't even have time to regroup when another ball came flying over the green wall separating the course from the road. A quick check confirmed that the balls were the exact same -- twin Titleist 7s -- meaning that someone was having a very bad start to his day. Consultation with fans inside the fence confirmed it was Nicolas Colsaerts who had sent both balls wide.

It's unknown whether Mickelson's ball remains lost, was grabbed by an opportunistic passer-by or is buried deep in Jersey ivy. Shunpike Road is apparently Baltusrol's equivalent of Waveland Avenue, the street that runs behind Wrigley Field where fans gather to catch home runs.

"You're better off doing this," Friedman said, "than playing Pokemon Go."

Pizza for a king

LeBron James is allowed to eat whatever the heck he wants.

According to the social news networking website Reddit via his Facebook page, James placed a build-your-own order with Blaze Pizza, a chain where he is part owner and spokesman.

He initially began building his pizza with high-rise dough and spicy marinara with mozzarella. James then added on: parmesan, grilled chicken, turkey meatballs, banana peppers, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, green bell peppers, kalamata olives, red onion, spinach, sea salt, oregano, arugula and an olive oil drizzle.

It's a wonder how Blaze Pizza fit all of this on one pie, even one with high-rise dough. Since he is an investor in the company, the restaurant apparently couldn't say no.

James also requested a side salad with the gargantuan pizza and included never "order while starving"on his Facebook caption.

QUIZ

Where is the Blaze Pizza chain based?

ANSWER

Pasadena, Calif.

Sports on 07/30/2016

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