What a choke! The entire round he choked. 2 of 14 fairways? Nobody really wanted to win it though. Not one player stepped up to take control. What a disappointment of a major. Not the kind of play one would expect from a major.
On the surface, it appears like a choke. But in my honest opinion, it was Winged Foot paying back Phil. All day long, both today and yesterday, he hit a lot of bad tee shots that found the trampled down grass instead of the thick rough. He constantly had good lies and played great shots to save pars. Winged Foot bit back big-time on him and he paid a heavy price.
What a choke! The entire round he choked. 2 of 14 fairways? Nobody really wanted to win it though. Not one player stepped up to take control. What a disappointment of a major. Not the kind of play one would expect from a major.
I wouldn't say that he choked the entire round. I wouldn't even say that he choked on 18. Colin choked on 18 with his wayward iron shot from "position A". Phil made one of the most rediculous choices that I've ever seen someone make by a person in his position.
Oh yeah, where's "Mr. Friendly" now? It seems as he's clammed up. C'mon out and talk Phil! We want to hear what you have to say!
Phil seemed completely incapable of making a rational decision and playing the percentages. It's one of the most bizarre things I've ever watched in pro golf...right up there with Van de Velde.
What was Phil's caddy doing??? I would have been like Cheech in Tin Cup and snapping every club but the 7-iron and telling him to hit that. A par wins it...a bogey is a playoff. Taking out driver and playing that 2nd shot only invites double and worse into the equation.
What a disaster. Never has been a worse tragedy since the Titanic...nope the Bay of Pigs...no not close...the Pearl Harbor...not close.....Phil’s melt down at Winged Foot………… nothing tops that one.
On the surface, it appears like a choke. But in my honest opinion, it was Winged Foot paying back Phil. All day long, both today and yesterday, he hit a lot of bad tee shots that found the trampled down grass instead of the thick rough. He constantly had good lies and played great shots to save pars. Winged Foot bit back big-time on him and he paid a heavy price.
No its a choke nothing more nothing less...
Cmon he's a professional, he wasnt hitting the driver all day...pull out a *$@$(*^@*()&()*&@)(*&$ 4 iron and lay up......
Phil's flop was technically at least as bad as Jean Van de Veldt, in a sense worse because Van de Veldt was an unknown who was not expected to win anyway. So a bigger shock given that Phil was the crowd favorite and odds-on favorite to win.
The difference is that the British Open was probably Van de Veldt's only shot at a major in his career whereas Phil already has two.
These last two years prove these golfers are mortal. Retief Goosen last year...who would have thought he would fall apart like that. And Phil Mickelson this year....just when everyone's saying he can't be beat and start comparing him to Tiger, he collapses hard on the 18th.
Cmon he's a professional, he wasnt hitting the driver all day...pull out a *$@$(*^@*()&()*&@)(*&$ 4 iron and lay up......
man is he dumb today!!!
Well, the decision he made was a bad one for sure, especially given how he was driving the ball all day long and pretty much the last 3 days of the tournament. He should have hit a 3 or 4 iron, but he did what he usually does and gambled. His biggest mistake was the 2nd shot though. He should have taken his medicine and chipped out, wedged close, and hoped to make the putt (or at least 2-putt and guarantee a playoff). He made his share of bad decision-making, but like I said Winged Foot was paying him back. It seemed like everyone who jumped up to the lead this week had something bad happen to them immediately after (Ferrie's 2 double bogies for example). Winged Foot is just very difficult and sometimes you just have to be humble and admit the golf course has the better of you instead of trying something heroic.
Speaking of Phil and Van de Velde: After Van de Velde's implosion, people asked, "Why on earth did his caddie let him hit driver on the last hole?" I heard someone answer that by saying: Van de Velde was the 137th player in the world, so he had the 137th best caddie in the world.
Now, I know that the player holds the power and responsibility for club choice, shot selection, and outcome. Still, I have to think that Bones is one of the best caddies out there, and certainly he and Phil have a good relationship. I'm wondering if Bones (knowing his man) even suggested to Phil that he not hit driver on the last hole. Maybe when Phil and/or Bones starts talking about this, they'll comment.
June 18th, 2006, 08:18 PM
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