Most golfers would think that not having Tiger Woods at the 111th US Open would make winning easier.
But Phil Mickelson isn’t most golfers.
For purely selfish reasons, he wishes Woods were sticking his peg in the tee at Congressional Country Club on Thursday.
“I’ve always felt as though Tiger has helped bring out some of my best golf over the years,” he said Tuesday.
“And even though my record against him may not be the best, it’s helped me achieve a higher level that I may not have ever achieved had he not been pushing me.
“So the challenge now is without him playing his best or even competing like he’s not this week, is pushing myself to achieve a level of play that is in there without him forcing me to do so.
“So in that sense, it might be a little bit more difficult.”
The thinking is classic Mickelson. He sees what others don’t and frequently attempts shots others – often including his longtime caddie, Bones Mackay – don’t see.
Nothing’s orthodox with Phil. He put two drivers in his bag at the Masters, and then went to the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines – the longest layout in history – with no driver.
And maybe that’s why the US Open has proven so elusive for him.
For the US Open rewards discipline, patience and grind over shotmaking and flair. It’s a rigid championship, more suited to engineers than artists.
And while a player with Mickelson’s talent might be able to recover from his mistakes, make one too many and, in the end, the US Open is going to win.
So it says on the scoreboard: US Open 20, Phil Mickelson 0.
What’s been more painful than that statistic, however, is that Mickelson has had his opportunities.
He has finished second a record five times.
Mostly, he has shot himself in the foot down the stretch.
His most heartbreaking failure came five years ago at Winged Foot, where he just needed to par the last hole to win.
But he sliced his drive into the oblivion of the hospitality tents, and then made one ill-advised decision after another and yada, yada, yada, double bogey.
“I’m such an idiot,” he said in the aftermath.
He fell short, too, against Payne Stewart at Pinehurst in 1999; to Tiger Woods at Bethpage in 2002; to Retief Goosen at Shinnecock Hills in 2004 and to Lucas Glover at Bethpage in 2009.
Mickelson has had his chances on Sundays to win three other US Opens, too, dating back to 1995.
But a missed short putt here, a wayward drive there and the US Open has beaten him every time.
For his 21st try, however, Mickelson seems to have found his peace with his nation’s Open.
He has won the Masters three times, but this isn’t the Masters.
“The thought process from the get-go on each tee box at Augusta National is to hit the ball as hard and as far as you can and worry about the next shot later,” he said. “Where here, the whole thought process is just trying to minimize the miss.”
It goes against his nature, but he’s learning that making par doesn’t ever hurt at the US Open. Last year – another tournament Mickelson let slip – Graeme McDowell won shooting even par over four days at Pebble Beach.
Mickelson turns 41 on Thursday and on Father’s Day can give himself the birthday gift he most wants.
“I’m playing some good golf,” he said. “Ball-striking-wise, I think it’s the best it’s ever been in the last three or four or five months. And I feel I’m right on the cusp of getting my confidence back with the putter.
“There’s a small difference there getting the right speed for the line, but I’m close.
“I feel like if I play well, I know what it takes to be in contention here.”
What he doesn’t want to do is to think about winning.
He admits that for years he thought too much about winning a major, and focusing on the result left him disappointed. He didn’t break through until the 2004 Masters, his 47th major.
He’s taking the same live-in-the-moment approach to this week.
“The way I see it is when I finally did break through and won my first major, my thought process was not to worry about winning, not to worry about the result, but to enjoy the entire tournament, enjoy the process, enjoy the challenge of trying to win,” he said.
“So I’m going to enjoy this week. I’m going to have fun this week playing and trying to compete in our national championship. I can’t worry about the result.
“Deep down, I have the belief that I can come out on top, but I’m trying not to worry about the result.”
