It was a tale of two Phil Mickelsons this week at Riviera Country Club. Two days, Thursday and Saturday, he had the game that won him three majors and 34 PGA Tour tournaments over his illustrious career. The other two days it seemed like anything could happen on any given hole. The real Phil showed up at the end of Sunday's final round, with a stealth 9-iron on the 16th hole, a two-putt birdie on the 17th hole and a sneaky par putt that found the center of the cup for a par on the 18th and gave him his first win of 2009 at the Northern Trust Open.
It wasn't all peaches and cream for Mickelson in the final round. His eagle on the first hole was his third consecutive on that hole, which he played 9-under for the week, but Lefty made five bogeys over his next 13 holes, leaving the door open for Steve Stricker, Fred Couples and Andres Romero.
Mickelson's aforementioned 9-iron on 16 stopped five feet away, which he happily stroked in for his first birdie of the day. The birdie on 17 and eventual bogey by Stricker on 18 left Mickelson a shot up on the field, but he had a lot of work on the 18th to secure his par. He two-putted from off the green and wrapped up a victory in L.A. for his second straight year.
Something can be said for his resilience this week. A lot of guys on tour would have probably folded after the tough start on Sunday, but Mickelson hung in there, waiting for something good to happen. Stricker's sloppy bogey on 18 helped, leaving the door open for Phil to make some noise in the last group and come out on top.
Next week Phil gets to join the Tiger Woods circus. He will be but a side show to Woods' heroic comeback, and a side story to what will now be "Tiger Woods 2.0." Nobody will care who Phil is playing for the most part and the focus will be all on Sir Swoosh whether he impresses after eight months on the injured reserve or struggles in his return. Sunday, however, Mickelson is on top of the PGA Tour and is the first huge name to tally a victory in '09.
It might not seem like a lot, but winning the week Tiger announced he was coming back is a pretty impressive feat for a guy that has always seemed to come up short when Woods was around. Maybe this is a little bark from Phil or maybe it was just a fortunate week on a course he enjoys. Whatever it is, the PGA Tour can use some old school Phil vs. Tiger and even if it is just a battle for headlines, I'm sure the golfing boys will happily take it.
Latest Golf Photos
NAPLES, FL - FEBRUARY 22: An American Bittern hides in the marsh during the final round of the ACE Group Classic at the TPC Treviso Bay on Februrary 22, 2009 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
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NAPLES, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Mark Wiebe plays a shot on the 1st hole during the Final round of the ACE Group Classic at the TPC Treviso Bay on Februrary 22, 2009 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Mark Wiebe
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NAPLES, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Jeff Sluman plays a shot on the 1st hole during the final round of the ACE Group Classic at the TPC Treviso Bay on Februrary 22, 2009 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jeff Sluman
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NAPLES, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Bernhard Langer plays a shot to the 2nd hole during the final round of the ACE Group Classic at the TPC Treviso Bay on Februrary 22, 2009 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Bernhard Langer
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NAPLES, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Don Pooley plays a shot on the 2nd hole during the final round of the ACE Group Classic at the TPC Treviso Bay on Februrary 22, 2009 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Don Pooley
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NAPLES, FL - FEBRUARY 22: James Mason hits a shot on the 2nd hole during the final round of the ACE Group Classic at the TPC Treviso Bay on Februrary 22, 2009 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** James Mason
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NAPLES, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Gene Jones hits a shot on the 2nd hole during the Final round of the ACE Group Classic at the TPC Treviso Bay on Februrary 22, 2009 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Gene Jones
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NAPLES, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Loren Roberts plays a shot on the 2nd hole during the final round of the ACE Group Classic at the TPC Treviso Bay on Februrary 22, 2009 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Loren Roberts
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NAPLES, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Loren Roberts plays a shot on the 5th hole during the final round of the ACE Group Classic at the TPC Treviso Bay on Februrary 22, 2009 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Loren Roberts
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NAPLES, FL - FEBRUARY 22: James Mason hits a shot on the 12th hole during the Final round of the ACE Group Classic at the TPC Treviso Bay on Februrary 22, 2009 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** James Mason
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-22-2009 @ 10:30PM
hookmrl said...
Phil about time
Reply
2-22-2009 @ 10:36PM
athomp5775 said...
What did Butch do to help Phil today? Maybe Tiger fired him because he is not as good as he think he is. Butch should learn how to teach and how to keep his mouth shut.
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2-23-2009 @ 1:10AM
genofototkr said...
To athomp5775...
How well do you know about Butch Harmom? Do you have any idea what he does for others year in and year out. How much time he gives of himself. If you think Hank Haney is the reason for Tiger's success you know even less about golf than you do about Butch.
Butch Harmon has taught more PGA Winners than you can name. Being the number 1 teacher for the past several years he's earned the right speak his mind just like you and I..he may not be still working with Tiger but the last time I checked he's still ranked the number 1 teacher in the world.
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2-23-2009 @ 1:11AM
genofototkr said...
Harmon.....my bad
Reply
2-23-2009 @ 7:30AM
Hi! Michael said...
That wasn't the real Phil. The real Phil usually collapses like a house of cards. someone put in a substitute. He needs more killer instinct. You see that big grin on his face and usually when that happens he is done and knows it.
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2-23-2009 @ 8:08AM
ALAN MURRAY said...
3 Wood on 18 leaving 212 in keep spraying the driver its going to be a long year for Phil
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2-23-2009 @ 8:38AM
mdcsl said...
Tiger's coming back, Phil knew he needed to win before that happened so he would have at least 1 win this season.
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2-23-2009 @ 1:32PM
Tom said...
I'm glad that other fella's coming back next week.
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2-23-2009 @ 1:33PM
retopper said...
Lefty!!!
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2-24-2009 @ 10:25AM
Captain Frank said...
Phil is a joke and an idiot by his own words. With his talent he should be way up there but his lack of brain matter can not be overcome. Tiger is back goodbye Phil
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2-24-2009 @ 8:21PM
kathryn said...
You people must not understand anything about golf. Phil now has 35 career wins on tour with three majors, each of which was won with some very clutch shots. To bash him because he isnt tiger is just plain stupid. Tiger is an anomily and we all know that, a player like him comes around every 50 years or maybe more. If phil died tommorow, he would easily make the golf hall of fame and has enjoyed a fantastic career, by any standard. As for his "killer instinct", if you ever played the game you should know that we mortals cant just try harder and make a bunch of birdies. It just doesnt work that way. Some days you have it and some days you dont, its just that simple. Somehow despite an apparent lack of killer instinct, he has amassed a fabulous record. I am an extremely avid golfer and play competetively and literally cant imagine another avid player posting such idiotic rants phil or tiger for that matter. I cant believe the ignorance i just read. I truly wish that we as a people or a nation would spend at least the equivalent amount of time learning about a subject that we did posting idiotic comments with no factual merit whatsoever.
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2-25-2009 @ 8:44AM
ckfan0001 said...
If there is anyone I root against it's Phil Mickelson. Can't stand this baby!
Reply
2-27-2009 @ 9:09AM
NANCY said...
Why does everyone pick on Phil. I think he adds a wonderful dimension to the PGA Tour. Yes, sometimes he does stupid things, like all of us, but for the most part he gives it his all. Do I think there are things that he could do to improve his game, probably, but he's a great player, a wonderful husband and father who balances his golf and his family. You have to remember for the longest time Tiger only lived and breath golf. He wasn't married or had children so he was able to concentrate 100% of the time on his game. Now he is married and has 2 children. Hopefully he will not just concentrate on his game but his family as well. Can't think I 2 better golfers I like to see in the hunt on Sundays.
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