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DEL.ICIO.USIt’s Mickelson’s course, in any kind of weather
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
Deed him the property. Why not? He owns it. If any golfer ever owned a golf course, Phil Mickelson owns Sugarloaf. He took unofficial possession over the weekend on his way to the Masters, and if this had been anything but golf, Sugarloaf would have been left looking like a war had been fought out here in the suburbs.
Let’s see, Lefty has played the BellSouth nine times, he has won three, he has banked $2,987,416. Oh, pish tush, just call it $3 million. Why quibble over a few bucks? No other nomad of the PGA Tour is even within shouting range after 38 years of this tournament.
Not all of his winning has been under the most soothing conditions, or without some overtime, until this. He won his first in 2000 but had to stay over a day to play off one hole against Gary Nicklaus, and one hole was all that was required. (It was the one and only time Nicklaus ever came close to winning a tour event.) Last year, same thing. A layover until Monday to get in 54 holes — again — and another playoff, this time with four other guys. What followed was one train wreck after another. Two of the four in the water on 18, but most disastrous of all, Jose Maria Olazabal missed two short putts that would have won it all before Mickelson closed it out and headed for Augusta to defend his title.
Weather threats have been the plague of the BellSouth, and in this farewell to the April Fool’s weekend, this battered event took it in the chops again. While Mickelson was floating home like a leaf in the wind, the weather idiot struck again as he approached the 15th tee. A thunderstorm struck with 18 players still in play, a sort of a farewell slug. One pocket of foul weather showed on the television screen, and it hovered directly over Sugarloaf. The devil was thumbing his nose.
Mickelson may have been 12 shots ahead of Jonathan Byrd and Olazabal, but the finish still had to be written.
He bogeyed the 15th, a reasonably mild par-4, but Byrd, Olazabal, J.J. Henry and Retief Goosen were just being carried along in his draft, a good view of a smashing show. Throughout the week we were hearing such terms as “dialed in” and “in a zone,” neither of which can be found in Webster’s, but truth to be, Lefty was riding the crest of his game. When he sank the eagle putt and walked off the 18th green, 63-65-67-65—260, 13 strokes in the lead, he had smashed every record in the BellSouth book, and a Mickelson family crunch took place, three kids, mom and dad in one big huddle. Great, but was his game peaking ahead of schedule? At Sawgrass he had spoken of elevating it to the level he wanted it two weeks hence, meaning at Augusta.
“I hope to do some more of the same,” he said. “I did last year at Phoenix [which he won] and in the AT&T [Pebble Beach to you and me, which he won the following week.] I wasn’t trying to win by such a score, but it does mean a lot to me to have your score reflect the way you play.”
This being the last time the BellSouth plays appetizer to the main course in Augusta, let it be said that it is not a tearful parting.
This slot on the PGA Tour calendar now falls to the Shell Houston Open next year. May the weather be with it. Meanwhile, The Players Championship and BellSouth move in tandem to May under the new schedule.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Furman Bisher, Golf
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By Brookhaven BirdieMan
April 3, 2006 12:17 PM | Link to this
One thing that sums up Phil’s Eagle yesterday on 18 with such a huge lead is what one of my great friends , Sir. Bobby Jones said, which is:
“The main idea in golf as in life, I suppose is to learn to accept what cannot be altered and to keep on doing one’s own reasoned and resolute best whether the prospect be bleak or rosy.”
Even with a rosy lead Phil still hammered home an eagle on 18. Was it in restitution for the double he took there on Saturday? Was he shooting for the PGA low round record? Did he do it for the fans?
Phil, your my boy blue…….
I’d like to hear what others feel moving into this greatest week in sports. (Look for me at aim-men corner on saturday, ice cold one in my left hand and a pimento cheese sandwich in my right)
-BBM
By Lindy Copelan
April 4, 2006 11:21 AM | Link to this
Hello Mr. Bisher,
I think you will find this interesting. Makes one wonder which is the more difficult of the two to achieve….winning the Masters or becoming the President of the United States.
* 42 Presidents to Date and 42 Masters Champions to Date **
42 different men have combined to win the previous 69 Masters Tournaments to date. This due to several winning multiple titles….i.e. Nicklaus, Palmer, Woods, etc
Also….there have been 42 different men to serve as the President of the United States Remember Bush is our 43rd President, but because Grover Cleveland was both the 22nd and 24th President, only 42 men have served as our President.
Unless Tiger Woods wins again this year, this may never occur again.
By Wil
April 6, 2006 04:13 PM | Link to this
Phil didn’t have TIGER to deal with. Just the thought of TIGER being in town would have SHAKEN Phil. Just can’t MAN-UP when TIGER is in the GAME. Please prove me WRONG this week, PHIL!!!!