Rooting for Mickelson

Not sure if there are any other QT3 golf fans, but I’m rooting big-time for Mickelson as he goes into the final round of the Masters with a share of the lead Sunday. Big Phil is one of my favorite golfers, perhaps because he’s always played a fearless, aggressive Tin Cup-style game, or maybe simply because, like me, he’s a leftie. And certainly because the guy has yet to win a major, despite coming so close so many times.

Not only would a Mickelson victory tomorrow be a great day for Mickelson fans, it’d set a new golfing record. The last five majors in a row have all been won by first-time major winners. There have never been six first-time major winners in a row.

Actually, that’d also be true if co-leader Chris DiMarco wins tomorrow, but fuck him. Go Mickelson!

I find it hard to feel sorry for a guy who has millions of dollars, numerous fans, plays a game for a living and has an hot wife.

I’m pulling for Phil, but he sure has earned his reputation for choking on Sunday in big events. He may have a chance without Tiger breathing down his neck (if Tiger was within 5 strokes I predict a sure Mickelson Major choke.)

Also rooting hard for Phil here. He just seems like such a nice, regular guy. It’s hysterical when he calls in to Dan Patrick’s radio show to talk football, 'cause Mickelson frequently makes a lot more sense than the experts do. (Mickelson also put down a thousand bucks on the Rams to win the Super Bowl before the '99 season, a 100-1 shot). Love the “Tin Cup” style game when it works, but boy is it frustrating when it doesn’t.

Right now Langer looks dangerous. The guy’s a deadly putter, and could shake it up pretty quickly if he continues his hot streak.

The only thing duller than golf on TV is golf on the radio! :)

Watch the Masters - I guarantee it won’t be boring. ;)

GO MICKELSON!

What a brilliant final day. Amazing to see the duel between Mickelson and Els on the back nine, and Mickelson’s birdie putt at 18 to win it all was just fairytale stuff, right down to the way the ball juuuuust barely dropped.

That’s what golf is all about. Absolutely riveting stuff, and Mickelson’s victory was richly deserved. Nice one, Phil!

Good stuff. Watched it with the family over Easter dinner. We all cheered.

He looked like a kid coming up 18 instead of a deer caught in headlights as I expected. Good for him.

Yeah, we had the final round on TV in my bar today, and drew quite the crowd for the final six holes. Seriously, I really only watch golf when it’s a major, but that was pretty much one of the most exciting and scintillating sports events I’ve seen in a while. From Phil and Els exchanging birdies (and in Els case, an eagle), from Harrington and Triplett’s back-to-back holes in one at 16…what a day. When Mickelson lipped in that putt on 18, the whole bar exploded in applause.

What a finish too, huh? For a guy who has a reputation as a choker, that 31 on the back nine oughta set that all to rest, right? That was epic work.

Most of the sports writers I’ve read online so far seem to be in agreement that it was one of the most thrilling Masters in living memory. I certainly can’t remember the last time I was so engrossed in a golf tournament, or any sports event outside the World Cup.

And the win couldn’t have gone to a nicer guy – one writer observed that it was fitting Mickelson won his first Masters the same year that Palmer played his last, as he is the player best suited to assume Palmer’s “people’s champion” mantle. Couldn’t agree more.

From Sports Illustrated:

“My grandfather collected flags from all my victories but had told me he didn’t want any more tour tournaments, he only wanted majors,” Mickelson told the crowd. “He passed away this January but the last time I talked to him, he said, ‘This is your year.’ Chris’ (DiMarco’s) putt caught the left edge of the cup and went past. Mine caught the left edge and fell in. I can’t help but think that he had something to do with that.”

Trivia for the day: Phil’s not really a leftie. He’s right handed, but when he was watching his dad swing, he mirrored him instead of mimicing him.

Hope that doesn’t spoil your fanship ;)

All of my in-laws and I were watching throughout Easter, my mother-in-law even wanted to move a tv into the dining room, but instead we just kept a constant stream of people going for “seconds” and returning with updated standings.

Actually that gives me an extra level of respect for the guy! I’m not trying to claim Mickelson as one of “us”, but I empathize with anyone who plays left-handed.

Not that it’s a problem for pros, who have all their clubs tailor-made, but it’s no fun being a left-handed golfer. It makes finding good equipment (particularly clubs) that much harder, as well as taking instruction and understanding concepts like draw and fade since everything’s reversed. It’s not that big a deal, but still a pain in the arse.

When I took lessons last year, the instructor had a video set-up which captured your swing then did a split-screen comparison with a top pro. He usually used Tiger but since I was a leftie he cued up Mickelson. Boy, you never realize just how much you suck until you watch a frame-by-frame comparison of your swing next to someone of that caliber.

This Masters ranks up there along with watching Ben Curtis win the British last year, since that course owned by his grandparents that the network kept referencing was one that I played on all the time, and even once in a tournament (I’m a lefty also) that I think Ben played in and won.

This Masters ranks up there, but below, seeing Payne Stewart win the US Open. He was my favorite golfer that I got to see play (how do you rank Jones and Hogan?), and one of the greatest people ever to excel at a professional sport. I still can’t see him on TV without welling up.

I wish golf here was as accessible and cheap as it was in Ohio.

Watching Palmer hole out on Friday to finish his 50th – and last ever – consecutive Masters definitely brought a tear to the eye. My local course was designed by Palmer so there’s a fair bit of Arnie admiration among the regulars there.

Couple Palmer’s emotional departure with Mickelson’s much-deserved, edge-of-the-seat victory, and you have, if not the best Masters ever, certainly the best I’ve ever seen and undoubtedly one for the ages.

Actually that gives me an extra level of respect for the guy! I’m not trying to claim Mickelson as one of “us”, but I empathize with anyone who plays left-handed.

Not that it’s a problem for pros, who have all their clubs tailor-made, but it’s no fun being a left-handed golfer. It makes finding good equipment (particularly clubs) that much harder, as well as taking instruction and understanding concepts like draw and fade since everything’s reversed. It’s not that big a deal, but still a pain in the arse.

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Gary, I know exactly what you mean. I’m a natural leftie. When I first took up the game as a teenager, I was given a set of hand-me-down rightie clubs, and played the game rightie for years. For all those years, I bought into the advice that a leftie playing rightie has a natural advantage, because your stronger arm pulls the club through the swing. Yeah, right. I struggled with for years, and finally gave up. When I finally got hold of a set of leftie clubs, what a difference! But, as you say, finding the equipment, unless you have the $ to special order it, is a pain. That Mickelson can play at that level the other way around from his “natural” side says volumes about his ability.

Hope that doesn’t spoil your fanship ;) [/quote]

“And I have something to tell you - I am not left-handed, either!”

Yeah, that was fun. I really only like to watch the Majors when it comes to golf as well. The Masters is especially fun to watch because it’s played on the same course every year.

Man, everyone was tearing up that back nine on Sunday too. It was weird, especially those back-to-back holes in one. I missed both of those because my mother-in-law wanted me to show her how to transfer pictures from her digital camera to her PC.

One of the announcers mentioned that there had only been seven holes-in-one in 67 years of Masters history, and then they had two in the space of ten minutes. Amazing.

Not a hole-in-one, but Choi’s 180-yard hole-out on 15, I think it was, was equally impressive. Guess there was just something in the air that day.

They showed Mickelson’s final putt on the news again today, and it looks even longer now! Particularly on a day when everyone seemed to be missing putts on those fearsome greens, I just can’t imagine sinking a shot like that under that kind of pressure. I get nervous just thinking about it.