Thursday 22 January 2015 17:54, UK
Ahead of Phil Mickelson's first outing of the year in California, Robert Lee believes the six-time major champion remains one of golf's biggest drawcards.
Phil Mickelson is back in action for the first time since the Ryder Cup this week, but he’s been out of the limelight ahead of the Humana Challenge in California.
Some have suggested he is keen to avoid the media for fear of being questioned over his infamous post-Ryder Cup press conference at Gleneagles, when many perceived him to be very critical of American skipper Tom Watson.
But I see no reason why he should feel like he’s got to keep a low profile. I didn’t feel what he did was that bad to be honest, I don’t think he roasted Tom Watson at all.
What he was trying to say was: “We’ve lost three Ryder Cups in a row, let’s get back to using the winning formula we had in 2008 under Paul Azinger.” I haven’t got a problem with that. I actually thought what he said was quite measured.
Positive
But as a player, I’ve always liked listening to Phil because he’s always so positive, he’s always trying to move onwards and upwards and that’s the attitude you need to succeed. It doesn’t seem that long ago that he was the best player in the world never to have won a major, but now he’s got five and he’s had a superb career.
I love the way he plays. He is always looking to attack, which makes him a kind of modern-day Arnold Palmer in many ways. Arnold was never the straightest, but he had that “X Factor” that Phil also has, and he’s great to watch.
I’ve always liked listening to Phil because he’s always so positive, he’s always trying to move onwards and upwards and that’s the attitude you need to succeed
I wouldn’t read too much into Phil not playing at Pebble Beach or Riviera next month. He’s had some arthritic-related issues, and he’s probably just trying to avoid places where the weather is likely to be cold and cause him problems.
He’s 44 now, but his age shouldn’t be an issue for a while yet. Look at Miguel Angel Jimenez, he’ll be 51 next birthday and he’s still mixing it with the best.
It used to be the case that you got to around 45 and then had to hang around until you qualified for the Champions Tour, but these days the top players can keep it going a little longer.
More majors
But I really believe that Phil believes he has more majors in him. The one thing that is missing from his fantastic trophy cabinet is the US Open. He’s been second six times, and you would have thought that at least one would have gone in his favour.
It’s a little strange, because when you look at Mickelson’s game you would have thought the one major he’s least likely to win is the US Open.
Chambers Bay is going to be a very interesting test in June this year, and it looks like a beautiful links-style course. Pinehurst No 2 was a revelation last year, and I think Chambers Bay will be the same this year.
And it might suit Phil, because he gets links golf more than most Americans. When he won the Open Championship at Muirfield in 2013, the back-nine he played on the Sunday was extraordinary. He finally proved that he had figured out how to play links golf.
I think he’ll be relishing going to Chambers Bay, and I expect Phil to give himself another big chance.
Doing the right thing
For the time being, Phil has been working out over the winter with his personal trainer, probably to offset the onset of old age. I just hope he’s not going too mad in the gym, because there is a danger of overdoing it.
But for Phil, I think it’s just a case of keeping as flexible as possible, and I think he’s doing the right thing. Having said that, I also hope he’s not doing this just to add distance. Time and again in the past, Mickelson has been at his worst when he’s trying to hit the cover off the ball.
When he plays with a large element of course-management, he can be phenomenal.
So what’s a good week for him at the Humana Challenge this week? I think if he’s in with a shout, if he’s within five or six shots of the lead come Sunday afternoon, then he’ll be happy with that in his first week out.
Patrick Reed and Jimmy Walker have already hit the ground running, so Phil has some catching up to do, but he needs to be putting well when he gets to La Quinta. The greens are so pure, and if you’re not holing putts you will be watching everyone else making them.
Robert’s Sky Bet tip:
Patrick Reed: The defending champion at La Quinta was an impressive winner at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, and he’ll be inspired by Jimmy Walker’s defence of his Sony Open title last weekend.
