2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open

[Aotearoa_Brad]

This could be a great finish! Snedeker is looking awesome, and Mickelson is hanging in there. Could we have another tournament where a big third round lead is frittered away in the final round?

[JBones]

This could be a great finish! Snedeker is looking awesome, and Mickelson is hanging in there. Could we have another tournament where a big third round lead is frittered away in the final round?

I was just coming here to say the same thing. Sneds off and running, this is getting exciting.

[BK in TEXAS]

I find myself rooting for Ryan Moore because of his shoes. Odd......but true.

[whiskey golf]

Interesting how Tiger wins then Phil does, like the old days. Maybe it's the year of the older golfers

[Wannabegolfer67]

Holy f&@&$ing crap.....Phil's birdie putt on #7 was unreal!

[BK in TEXAS]

Holy f&@&$ing crap.....Phil's birdie putt on #7 was unreal!

Was that the one that cut across the fringe? That was phenomenal.

[Wannabegolfer67]

Was that the one that cut across the fringe? That was phenomenal.

Yep, that is the one....about 50ft through the fringe, right to left turn and right in the heart of the cup!

[GolfSpy WD]

I know Phil's good for golf and he interacts a lot with the crowd, it's just that smile & the weak "thumbs up." The one thing that I haven't mentioned is that a friend who's opinions and views I respect a lot spent some time with Mickelson & his wife over a week-end on a corporate(his firm is one of Mickelson's sponsors) golf/business getaway.

 

The purpose was to bring Mickelson up to speed on the firm & their strategic direction, etc., so Mickelson would have some idea about the firm that was payin him tens of millions. Well, it was set to be a stag thing, cept for female employees involved, however Mickelson was between tournaments and insisted that his wife was to be there & suggested the same for the firm's people.

 

My buddy said it was a cost thing(HaHa, yea, right;-)) on it bein only employees, however they made it a spouse weekend. Also, my buddy overslept(he's divorced so he was on his own, lol) and he got a call at bout 7:30am and it was a wake-up call from Mickelson. Funny, congenial guy.

 

Also, my buddy said that anywhere they went, people came up to him and he always took the time with everyone, even when partners from my buddy's firm tried to shoo them away. He made the comment to a Managing Partner that, "you couldn't pay me enough to do this. I would do this for free. This is why we're even here."

 

I mean, I still think he's fake, however I've got nothin to hang that on, and my buddy says that I always rip Phil without tellin this story, so there. I've told it, lol. I mean, maybe he's not, HaHa.

 

The other story involves Nathan Smith, a nationally ranked amateur(and past Walker Cupper) who through past amateur victories has qualified for Augusta. He was originally set up with Phil on the Tuesday practice round, and along with having Phil's cell #, which Phil told him to use if he ever wanted to talk, about anything, whenever he's qualified to play, Phil reserves a spot in his Tuesday group for him.

 

Nathan says that from the first time that he met him, Phil was a gentleman and really helped him on the course. And Nathan was initially a skeptic, however he believes that he's the real deal. There are other pros, pros who have a reputation for being a "people person," who don't give him the time of day. Even when they're paired in a practice round.

 

Not Phil. He went outa his way, and not just with Nathan. So, in full disclosure, I've got nothing to support my views. My buddy & Nathan are great guys who would call a spade a spade if Phil were fake, and they've spent enough time with him to see it, if he were.

 

I still don't like that goobery lookin smile, HaHa

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever

 

Great story Richard. I'm in the other camp where I've always liked Phil for the same reason I like Rory. Both are very talented and seemingly good people. I know there are a lot of folk out there who couldn't care less about a person beyond the course, but I prefer to root for the good guys. Plus, as someone else said, they know they are entertainers and make the game more fun.

 

As for the smile and thumbs up, yeah, it's goofy. Personally I think it comes from not wanting to hype himself up but also acknowledging the crowd, which kinda makes an awkward juxtaposition.

[BK in TEXAS]

As for the smile and thumbs up, yeah, it's goofy.

See....the thing is....the coolness factor drops exponentially once you're in your 40's. I should know......I'm there. The more we try to act cool...the gooofier we look. It's better to just be who we are....even if it's a goofy looking thumbs up. I like Phil just fine.

[Blade]

Those idiosyncrasies can be annoying when you start paying attention to them. The one I have a hard time watching because of that is Keegan! At least they got him to quit spitting 10 times before each shot! He's still hard for me to watch. Great player for sure though.

From everything I've heard about Phil, he's as genuine as they get. But I have no personal knowledge of him to know either way.

[JohnBarry]

I like how Bubba interacted during this tournament, more players like that please!

[RoverRick]

I love Phil the golfer and always like Phil the man, or at least the man he portrays. I hate his clothes but that is just me. It looks like double knit to me on the TV. I hate the fact that he is so inconsistent on the course, but as it was pointed out last Wednesday, some commentator on Golf Channel said that Phil is so inconsistent but that also makes him explosive. Damned if that was not the case this weekend. He was certainly explosive, but he was not inconsistent this weekend. Of course, he may not make the cut next week.

 

However, there is such a fine line between a 31 and a 37 on the same holes. Yesterday morning me and another guy went out before our normal group and played 9 holes. I hit 7 fairways and 9 GIR and shot a 31. 15 minutes later we went back to those same holes, I hit 7 fairways and 9 GIR and shot a 37. Granted I ain't Phil, and I am extremely happy with the 37 but the putts just did not fall on the next time around. They were catching the edge and turning rather than falling in the center. I do admit that on the 9th hole I backhanded a 2 1/2 footer that was the result of a 180* lip out and missed for a par and 36. If I would have picked it up no one would have said anything but I backhanded it and missed by a foot and everyone, including the other team saw it so I went over and made the 4 foot bogey putt.

 

The fact that he played so well four days in a row, just as Tiger did the week before was very impressive to me.

[BK in TEXAS]

 

 

Man, gettin old sux

 

 

Ya....but for now....it beats the alternative