I'd hit driver again. - No question. - Put me on the 18th hole at Winged Foot, needing par to win, and I'm doing exactly what I tried to do last June: carve a baby slice and chase it down the fairway to set up an iron to the green, two-putt for my first U.S. Open and my third straight major.
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People say it all the time: I take too many risks, and it costs me titles. I've been hearing for years that I have to change my style in order to win. Well, let me ask this: Are Johnny Miller, Lanny Wadkins, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Lee Trevino, Davis Love and Fred Couples great players? Of course they are. Those are some of the game's most heralded names. And somehow, I've won more PGA Tour events than any of them. So I have to wonder: Shouldn't my game be emulated more than criticized? Should I change my style and win less? Or should more players try to do what I do and maybe win more? Just throwing it out there.
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Failure fuels me. Championships would not feel as good if it weren't for the disappointments along the way. Put it this way: It was tough at the 2005 Masters to put the Green Jacket on Tiger Woods when he took back the title I'd won in 2004. But it made Tiger's putting it back on me last year 10 times sweeter.
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I also know people are intrigued about where I think I stand in comparison with Tiger. I understand that if I'd been able to close out the Open, I'd have joined Tiger and Ben Hogan -- an elite pair if ever there was one -- as the only players to win three straight majors since Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam in 1930. And there's no denying that would've been very cool. But the reality is, even if I play at the top of my game for the rest of my career and achieve my goals -- let's say, win 50 tournaments and 10 majors, pretty difficult to do, since I'd need 20 more wins, including seven more majors -- I still won't get to where Tiger is right now. So I won't compare myself with him. It makes no sense. I'm playing perhaps the greatest player ever while he's in his prime. It ****s losing to him, for sure, but it's a great challenge. I love trying to beat him.
Thanks for posting this. I'm a Michelson fan as well. Glad to hear his take on things. Here's a take I had on Phil after he won his 1st Masters:
Today, as the final putt on 18 slipped in the back door, the proverbial monkey slipped off Phil Michelson’s back, having searched perpetually in vain for the chip that might have been on Phil’s shoulder. Who could have blamed Phil for having such a chip, laboring for years in the shadow of the roaring Tiger, enduring the comments and criticism, withstanding the mixture of pity and scorn we reserve for runners up?
Perhaps there has been no chip because Phil took some solace in our admiration of the brilliance in his hands. Perhaps he persevered because his love of the game would accept no less…or, because he understood that we who love the game need that certain something that he brings to the game, that something that perhaps only Palmer before him brought in a similar fashion: a realness, an openness that major stars rarely display. Could it have something to do with the fact that golf, after all, is yet a game, while Phil’s life with Amy and the rest of his family is more important than being the world’s greatest golfer? Only Phil knows.
If you follow the game you have heard many of the game’s experts question Phil’s heart, his strength of mind, even as they spoke admirably of his talent. Yet, he has remained a favorite of the people. Why? Perhaps it is because he has never pretended that winning a major didn’t mean much to him, because his pain has been laid bare for all to see. Or, perhaps it is because he appreciates the joy inherent in the game as much as anyone and that, too, has been plain for all to see…even as he lost major after major and answered the questions about his decisions, his mental toughness without flinching.
We have seldom heard golf commentary during a tourney Phil played that didn’t acknowledge his genius with clubs, that didn’t allude to his unique approach to the game. He has certainly looked more like artist than athlete in temperament and physique. And he certainly has not worn the stoic mask of invincible. How many times have we seen anguish just beneath the surface as a missed two-footer took him out of contention? Has there been a tournament, won or lost, where Phil’s face didn’t break into that little boy’s joyous smile as he hit one of those patented Michelson touch shots? How many times have we seen that shy grin, as he bobbed his head in that deprecating way of his, walking up the fairway to the applause of appreciative galleries…galleries that have shared his pain, that have waited long to share his joy?
Phil Michelson has not been protective of anything…except his family. He hasn’t protected leads he has held. He hasn’t protected himself from scrutiny and scorn. His own feelings on the golf course he has shared with us. As we have shared his pain, we now share his joy. “Congratulations” can hardly convey what I’d like to say to Phil today. “Joyous” can scarcely express the feeling that caused my eyes to well as the 279th ball that Phil struck swerved its way into the cup. That feeling lasted all the way through the Jacket presentation.
I savored the ceremony as much as the win itself. Phil has played the game like no other and withstood the criticism of his way. As he waited for and finally accepted the symbol of his triumph, he did it in a way unlike any I have seen, with obvious joy and lack of restraint. Old Blue Eyes would be as proud of you as I am Phil. You are an inspiration to all who do it their way.
Went to check out the full article. Phil also said, "I think that's why I love the Masters so much. It's a more complete test than the Open." What do you think? Phil isn't shy about sharing his thoughts. He's not all about saying just the right things to protect his image. I like Philly Mick man, he's out there and not laying up like so many in the spotlight!
I like Phil but I here his persona off camera is totally different than the one we see on camera. Does anyone know what his true persona is. All the guys he seems to get along with are not always the most liked characters either.
March 17th, 2007, 01:57 PM
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