After he finished second – and no man has ever done more to finish second – at the 2016 Open at Royal Troon, Phil Mickelson was asked if he could really stay relevant on the main tours and majors into his fifties.
“That’s the plan,” he replied, smiling. Even then, the plan was in full swing. Mickelson had changed his lifestyle habits to cope with medical conditions. He was far fitter at 45 than he had been at 30.
And now at the PGA Championship he is halfway toward becoming the first man in his 50s to win a major.
They all want Phil to have this record
As the putts go down, the thumb comes up😏
Let’s have some fun and activate the thumbs this weekend pic.twitter.com/sOxwMEkBvr— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) May 21, 2021
The late Julius Boros won the PGA in 1968 at age 48, and currently is the eldest major champion. Julius won three majors in a 16-year span, played on four Ryder Cups and was one of the quickest players in an era when they were not generally slow. Not a shabby career.
But you just know the whole US golfing machine fancies Phil as a bigger name to take this particular record. He’s played sparingly in the last year, and his results have been so poor that he’s now the fourth best left-hander in the world rankings.
But although it’s meant he’s had to take a special invitation to next month’s US Open – something he once swore he’d never do – perhaps he’s been keeping his powder dry, husbanding energy for one last push for a major. Certainly that invite might be moot by the end of this weekend.
“Right now there’s a lot of work to do,” he said. “But the fact is I’m heading into the weekend with an opportunity. I’m playing really well and I’m having a lot of fun doing it.”
Mickelson’s new meditative focus
BOOM! Lefty birdies his final hole of the day at the par-4 9th! 🐥 He has a stellar first two days at the @PGAChampionship and is currently in solo 2nd at -5 overall! #LetsGoLefty pic.twitter.com/HVOEnKrAcK
— KPMG Mickelson (@MickelsonHat) May 21, 2021
Meditation is apparently the newest addition to Mickelson’s regime. Quite how he manages this with all those thoughts swimming around in his reputedly big brain is hard to imagine.
“I’m trying to use my mind as a muscle,” he added, invoking one of 2021’s new clichés among golfers (the other is talk of ‘dispersion’) “As I’ve got older, it’s been more difficult for me to maintain a sharp focus, a good visualisation and see the shot.
If Phil Mickelson leads at the end of today's round, he will be the first player to hold the lead after a major championship round in the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) May 21, 2021
“Physically I feel I’m able to perform and hit the shots and can do that every bit as well as I ever have, but I’ve got to have that clear picture and focus.”
Slower greens, and veteran nous around a tricky windy course helps. To his eternal credit, Mickelson made himself a fine player in windy conditions. But a gruelling weekend on a relentless course will be an ultimate test his physical state and focus.
The South Africans thrive in the wind
Rolling into the weekend @PGAChampionship pic.twitter.com/wMbsiYwWV0
— Louis Oosthuizen (@Louis57TM) May 22, 2021
“He’s from Mossel Bay. Even the seagulls walk there.”
Chubby Chandler was trying to explain why his (then) barely known client Louis Oosthuizen had won the Open in 2010. That was hardly the most windy Open on record, but the point was well made.
Three South Africans are close to the top of the leaderboard in Oosthuizen (sharing the lead with Mickelson) Christian Bezuidenhout and Branden Grace. All of them have played much of their golf on the breezy coast of their homeland, on courses quite similar to Kiawah.
While Oosthuizen may have been a surprise winner 11 years ago, the surprise now is that he hasn’t added to his major haul. In fact he’s never won on US soil. He played the brutal final stretch into the wind on Friday as good as anyone, only to falter at the last.
Where are they all coming from?
Erik Van Rooyen finds the water then decides to obliterate a tee marker, losing a club head in the process.👀 pic.twitter.com/xRiizg0wl1
— By The Flagstick (@ByTheFlagstick) May 21, 2021
Grace, who was a live contender seemingly everywhere he played in 2017-18, faded out of view in recent times. But a win in Puerto Rico when the top 50 were occupied with the Matchplay suggests he’s coming back.
Bezuidenhout is a great story. He was almost killed as a child when he ingested rat poison and then cruelly banned as an amateur when the medication to control the underlying effects of that trauma was judged to be illegal.
All that’s behind him now and he’s become the next great player out of the Cape. Well, maybe, but Erik van Rooyen, Garrick Higgo, Dean Burmester, Justin Harding, Louis De Jager, Danny van Tonder and Justin Walters look pretty decent as well.
What is it with the South Africans? Johan Rupert, the man behind the Dunhill Links, ploughs in financial support to the game there. But there has to be more than that. Maybe it’s all those sessions at Mossel Bay.
A complete change forecast for Sunday
Sorry, I just couldn't help it. 😁 @BarstoolBanks pic.twitter.com/b7OwAC8UBF
— Sam Harrop (@sam_golf) May 21, 2021
Speaking of the wind, it’s forecast to change direction 180 degrees on Sunday.
This will mean that the brutal final section that wrecked a whole pile of scorecards the first two days will suddenly be gettable just when the championship is coming to a head.
Saturday might offer a slightly less testing opportunity for the field, with winds easing than in the first two rounds. That could open up the leaderboard as well – just six shots currently cover 30 players.
We may even yet see the two-ball that everyone wants to see, the alpha male struggle of Brook Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau. Although apparently wounded – watch how he’s placing his ball on the greens – Koepka is still in great shape one off the lead. Two eagles didn’t exactly harm him on Friday.
Bryson is three back of his weights-room rival. A 71 was probably a disappointment to him after he got to the bend in three-under on the day.
Bryson’s leading the championship in driving distance – predictably – but 147th in accuracy. Despite the waywardness he’s 36th in greens in regulation, but 119th in strokes gained putting.
Laird and MacIntyre back for the weekend again
Martin Laird was brilliant tee to green at Augusta but couldn't hole anything. He seems to have sorted that out…Bob has work to do today, but he's tied with Rory McIlroy.
https://t.co/8Kyf9SZNbx via @thecourieruk
— Steve Scott (@C_SScott) May 21, 2021
Both Scots in the field, Martin Laird and Robert MacIntyre, survived to the weekend.
Laird briefly threatened Mickelson’s morning lead on Friday when he set out in the afternoon, but an ugly three-putt after a birdie-birdie start railed him back in.
Playing the easier front nine as his back nine, he might have hoped to do better than 73 after turning at level, still two-under. But the 37-year-old is tied 12th and there are few better tee to green on the tour right now.
Putting has always been his weak point – he used the sternum-anchored broomstick until it was outlawed. But he’s reached a decent consistency with the orthodox approach, enough for a major career renaissance this last few months. Perhaps the move back to his former college base in Denver has also made a difference.
MAJOR CUTS…💥✂️✂️@robert1lefty continues his 100% run of making the cut in every Major he has played in 💥🏴
That's 5 majors played, 5 cuts made 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
He is currently +4 tied 53rd
On to the weekend at #PGAChamp
⛳🇺🇸🏌🏼♂️😎 pic.twitter.com/jCOvZRLxil
— Bounce (@bouncespmgt) May 21, 2021
MacIntyre has now made the cut in all five majors he’s played. A 75 and a 73 have the 24-year-old nine shots adrift and an early starter on Saturday. But he showed more of that ability to bounce back after mistakes that was such a factor at Augusta.
Like everyone he goes into these events trying to win. But playing four rounds and garnering more major experience – and the world ranking points to keep him in the Top 50 – is a more than decent return.