Phil Mickelson has been known to extricate himself from some pretty precarious corners of a golf course.
But he found one yesterday at just the wrong time that was beyond even the game’s greatest escapologist.
The 2013 Open champion was on the charge up the leaderboard when he arrived at the 17th tee – six under for the day and just two off the lead at 10 under overall.
Mickelson then did an Eddie Pepperell, the difference being that for a left-hander his out of bounds drive was a hook, and the American was able to land his ball on a bedroom balcony of the Old Course Hotel when Pepperell could only find the pond.
Even when the five-time major winner makes a mess of things, he does it more spectacularly than the rest.
The hotel is of course out of bounds, but what if the rules officials had let him play his ball from where it lay?
“I’ve tried hitting shots from some crazy places,” Mickelson said. “I don’t know if I would have climbed up to do that, I don’t know.”
The hook cost him a slim chance of a second Open but the 45-year-old wasn’t too downbeat.
“The good news for me is that as I stood up there, I trusted the swing,” he pointed out. “I hit a good, solid shot. It just over-drew a little bit.
“I was trying to draw it around the corner. It wasn’t like it was a horrific shot, I just overturned it. And the good thing about that is that usually when I get in that situation the miss is way left, and I like how I’m starting to hit it a little bit more solid.”
The balcony (via the conservatory roof) adventure ended up in a triple-bogey seven.
Then Mickelson, who also drove into the Swilcan Burn on the first hole in the third round, saw his approach to the 18th spin back off the green into the Valley of Sin, from where his birdie putt hit the hole and lipped out.
That par meant he had to settle for a closing 69 to finish seven under.
As ever, Mickelson’s annual Scottish fortnight has been an agreeable one.
“The family was here for the two weeks,” he said. ”It was really enjoyable. I hit a lot of good shots, and it doesn’t feel far off.
“I’m just not quite shooting the numbers yet, but the game feels pretty good. I’m striking it better than I have in a long time, and I got rid of one of the areas of weakness, which was a big slice off the tee.
“I’ve been able to eliminate – significantly eliminate that shot, and I think in the long run it’s going to get better and better. But I just need to be a little bit patient right now as I try to get back to playing the way I know I can play.”