Next week, Phil Mickelson will play in Australia, a country that has rarely seen his golf swing in person.
No doubt he’ll receive plenty of cheers from the packed galleries, although probably not the loudest — those will be reserved for the four Aussies of Ripper, the home team at LIV Golf Adelaide.
Still, his presence will be celebrated, a recognition of his Hall of Fame stature, his success over three decades as a pro, and his likability as the thumbs-up crowd favourite.
Last week, Mickelson played the Masters. It was his 30th career start at Augusta National. Obviously, the patrons have watched him up close many times (114 career rounds to be exact). They’ve cheered him through three victories, and nearly saw a fourth on Sunday, thanks to his career-best final-round seven-under 65 that left him as the clubhouse leader until Jon Rahm completed his green jacket-winning performance.
Going from a major championship that has been played since 1934 to a tournament making its Down Under debut in the new LIV Golf League wasn’t lost on Mickelson as he reflected on the current state of golf. Yes, he can get goosebumps driving down Magnolia Lane every April, but he also enjoys taking golf to new places across the globe. From his perspective, it’s not an either-or predicament.
“Having a mixture of this style of golf — old, traditional, historical majors — and then having something a little bit different, a different energy, vibe, it’s been great for me,” Mickelson said. “I love the variety.”
That variety, of course, is also reflected in competitive formats. As captain of HyFlyers, Mickelson is now chasing both individual and team trophies at each regular-season tournament along with teammates Brendan Steele, Cameron Tringale and James Piot. During tournament weeks, they practise together and dine together — and at the most recent stop in Orlando, they even lived together, with Mickelson’s wife Amy arranging a rental house for the week, complete with a pool table.
Just as important, they lean on each other. Mickelson gets a fresh set of eyes with his driver from Steele, and a fresh perspective on his putting from Tringale, his fellow California natives. On the flip side, Mickelson can offer a wealth of knowledge to the 24-year-old Piot, the 2021 US Amateur champ from Michigan. Before flying off to Australia, Mickelson planned some US-based practises with his teammates, another new wrinkle in tournament preparation.
“I wanted something different for a lot of reasons, and I’m getting a lot out of it,” Mickelson said. “Having a team environment when I was in high school and college golf, it elevated my game, having players to play with, compete with. It brought a great energy and excitement. And that’s what this is doing for me at LIV. I’m not saying it’s for everybody, but it’s been awesome for me, and I love it.”
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The only thing he hasn’t loved are the results, his own and his team’s. Mickelson has yet to finish inside the points (top 24) in the first three events this season. His best individual result is a 27th at the season opener in Mayakoba. It wasn’t any better during the inaugural Invitational Series last year when Mickelson never contended on Sunday. As for the HyFlyers, they currently reside in 10th in the team standings, their best finish a sixth at Tucson when Steele was part of the four-man individual playoff.
The frustrating part the last few months is that Mickelson could feel how close his game was to his expected level. Having dropped 25lbs during the off-season and adhering to a fitness routine that focused on flexibility and elasticity, not bulk, Mickelson is physically there. Range sessions have been terrific, so have practice rounds. During a friendly game early in Masters week that included fellow LIV Golf members, Mickelson was impressive. “I told him on No. 9, you’re hitting it pretty good for an old man,” said Harold Varner III, who had to dig into his wallet at the end of the day.
It just hasn’t translated to competitive rounds.
The problem has been one of focus. He’s had a lot to process in the past year; the mental challenges have been huge. “He’s been through a lot,” Varner said. “His life’s been turned upside down.” It’s even worse when the scores don’t reflect the expectations. Then he tries to overcompensate. More troubles. A 66 turns into a 71, thanks to a couple of loose swings. That’s what happened in Thursday’s first round at the Masters.
“It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to focus the way I want to,” Mickelson admitted.
But when he can … well, he remains as good a golfer as anyone in the world. Evidence: His 65 on Sunday. It was the low round of the field. His lowest score ever shot in the final round at the Masters. The lowest score in Masters history by a player aged 50 or older. And it tied for his lowest round ever at Augusta National.
He hit 12 of 14 fairways and led the field by hitting 16 of 18 greens. Clinical, with eight birdies, the last one on the 18th green producing a celebratory fist pump. No, he didn’t win, but he had proof. Validation that his hard work was paying off.
It happened because he never lost focus. He stayed in the moment. Or as Mickelson calls it, he stayed “present”.
It didn’t happen alone. He needed help. Hat tip to brother Tim, his caddie.
“My brother did a great job on the bag this week,” Mickelson said. “When my focus was kind of waning, he would tell me some stories, tell me some dad jokes and just kind of get me refocused and more present. And again, I think that’s the biggest challenge for me lately because I feel like I’m executing a lot of shots, but I just need to be a little more present.”
So will it continue in Adelaide? Golf’s a finicky game. No guarantees. But know this: Phil Mickelson, at 52, is rejuvenated. He’s healthy and his head seems in a good space. He’s already proven that age doesn’t matter. He became the oldest winner of a major two years ago at the PGA Championship. No reason to think he can’t make another run. Think he’ll be focused at Los Angeles Country Club in mid-June? A US Open win would complete the elusive career Grand Slam.
“I’m hopeful that this kind of catapults me into playing the rest of the year the way I believe I’m playing,” Mickelson said. “I really worked hard in the off-season to get ready. I’ve been shooting some really low scores at home, and today I kind of let it happen rather than trying to force it, and I had a really good day and made some noise.”
Indeed, lots of noise. More is on the way, starting in Australia. Call it Lefty, But Louder.
