The Mickelson Six
0By Scott MacLean
The seasons third Major – the U.S. Open – dominates the golf world this coming weekend, and returns to one of its most venerable venues, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on New York’s Long Island.
The Championship has long been considered the most demanding of the four, with a premium put on pars rather than birdies, and with long rough, narrow fairways, and hard and fast greens it’s as much a test of patience and mental fortitude as of golfing skill.
Many of the greats have their name on the trophy. But no one has finished second more often without winning it than American left-hander Phil Mickelson, who wound up the bridesmaid no fewer than six times. Let’s take a look at each of those.
———————————
1999, Pinehurst No.2: Mickelson went into the final round one behind leader Payne Stewart, who he was paired with in the final group. The sub-plot though was across country in California where Mickelson’s wife Amy was due with their first child, and Mickelson vowed to walk off the course if he got the call she was in labour. The pair duelled the whole day, with only Vijay Singh threatening though Tiger Woods was also close. Mickelson held the lead with three to play when Stewart bogied the 15 th , but could only watch as Stewart holed a long par-saver at 16 while he bogied, and then missed an 8-foot birdie putt while Stewart made a five-footer for birdie and a one-shot lead. Mickelson parred 18, but so did Stewart by holing his iconic 20-footer up the slope to win by one.
The footnote: Back in California Amy Mickelson was showing the first signs of labour, and Phil made it in time for Amanda’s entry to the world the next day. But four months later Stewart was gone, dying in an aviation accident on his way to Texas from Florida.
2002, Bethpage Black: Mickelson was five off the lead with 18 holes to play, and would shoot an even-par 70 on the final day. The trouble for him, and everyone else, was that leader was Tiger Woods who shot a composed 72 to finish three clear.
2004, Shinnecock Hills: Mickelson went into Sunday tied with Ernie Els and two behind Retief Goosen. Els and the others fell away, though Jeff Maggert hung close enough to be a factor. Birdies at 13, 15, and 16 propelled Mickelson to the lead, but then found the bunker at 17 and three-putted for a crippling double-bogey. Goosen birdied 16 and closed with two pars for a two-shot win.
2006, Winged Foot: Once again back in New York state, Mickelson entered the final round tied for the lead with unheralded Englishman Kenneth Ferrie. On a brutal but fascinating day Mickelson surrended the lead to fast-starting Australian Geoff Ogilvy who was playing in the group ahead, but after a birdie at 14 Mickelson had regained it while Ogilvy dropped shots. The last three holes were carnage; Ogilvy parred all three, Padraig Harrington bogied them all, Jim Furyk bogied 18, and Colin Montgomerie made double. With a one-shot lead Mickelson gambled on hitting driver only to carve it way left, clattered the next into more trees, the following one into a bunker, and wound up making a double-bogey six to lose by one and easily one of the most egregious 72 nd hole collapses in Major history.
2009, Bethpage Black: This time Mickelson was six back of big-hitting Ricky Barnes starting the last round. With weather a factor, the leaders were only a few holes in on Sunday, pushing the conclusion to Monday. Mickelson, David Duval, Hunter Mahan, and England’s Ross Fisher all made runs as Barnes and Lucas Glover faulted. Mickelson eagled the Par-5 13 th , but bogied 15 and 17 while Glover steadied himself and birdied 16 en route to a two-shot win over Mickelson, Barnes, and Duval.
2013, Merion: For the first time, Mickelson held the outright lead before the final round, and had been the leader after 18 and joint-leader after 36 as he bid to end his drought and go wire-to-wire on his 43 rd birthday. Alas his nemesis – the crippling double-bogey – struck twice in the first five holes and left him chasing Mahan, Englishman Justin Rose, and Australian Jason Day. Mickelson got a large dose of luck when his second at the short Par-4 10 th found the cup, but couldn’t hold on with bogies at 13 and 15 while Rose birdied 12 and 13 ahead of him. Rose would bogey 14 and 16, but needing birdie to tie Mickelson hit a poor drive at the last and wound up with a bogey to finish two back tied with Day.
———————————
Now 56 and having played on the LIV Golf tour since 2022, Mickelson won’t be at this year’s edition being no longer exempt or not qualifying on top of missing the years first two Majors at Augusta and Aronimink. Fellow Californian JJ Spaun will look to defend the title he won in dramatic fashion last year on a typically terrifying Oakmont course outside of Pittsburgh, while the winner of the last Open here in 2018 was Brooks Koepka who joined the short list to have done what Spaun hopes to do.
One of the oldest clubs in the US, Shinnecock’s course has changed greatly since it was first laid out in 1895; in fact, most of the original course was progressively abandoned due to rail and road development as most of the current layout is on land acquired in the late-1920s. In recent years the USGA has gone away from imposing the same conditions on every course in favour of a look more “natural” to the course, albeit still based around the basic factors listed above. Shinnecock is one tough place, even without the ever-present winds that are bound to be a factor, and noted for its four Par-3s and the two long uphill par-4s back to the clubhouse at 9 and 18.
Whoever lifts the trophy this time will have truly earned it.
Follow Scott on Twitter