Phil Mickelson's Adventure on the 13th Hole Only Takes Nine Strokes

Assuming John Daly's professional (non-Hooters) career is over, I think it's safe to say that Phil Mickelson is the second-most popular golfer on the PGA Tour after Eldrick Woods. So it must be with great pain and anguish for many fans to watch the one-man, driver-less, five-wedge train wreck also known as Lefty play himself right out of the 108th U.S. Open.

It all started on Thursday, when Mickelson, at the behest of his short-game coach, Dave Pelz, left his driver in the trunk, went with an 11.5-degree strong 3-wood, and also carried five wedges. In theory, I liked the move; after the 2006 U.S. Open, when Phil gifted the win to Geoff Ogilvy, it seemed like a perfectly rationale move.

But if that's your strategy, it helps to, you know, find the fairway off the tee. Otherwise, you're now 50 yards behind your playing partners -- in the rough -- and routinely looking at 220-yard second shots to par 4s. It's a tough way to win an Open.

Mickelson began Saturday's round 4-over, not out of contention, but teetering. He went out in 36, parred 10, 11 and 12, and then came to the 539-yard par 5, 13th. A perfect birdie-or-better opportunity if there ever was one. And then, as the YouTube's above so painfully document, disaster struck.

The thing is, Phil wasn't unlucky, he was just, well, dumb. And stubborn. His third shot just misses the surface, but rolls back to his feet. So what does he do? Hits the same shot again. And once more. And in the time it takes to write "snowman + 1", Mickelson's 2008 U.S. Open is effectively over.

Phil grew up playing Torrey Pines, and, so he's familiar with No. 13:

"I've had a nine on 13 before," Mickelson said. "I was eight years old."

I'll say this for him, though: Phil finds new and interesting ways to lose, so I give him credit for creativity.