Phil Mickelson is the undisputed king of the 142nd Open Championship, the only player who, after 72 holes, delivered a score of 3 under par. At 43, the American left-handed conquers the Claret Jug for the first time, after 20 years of attempts, 5 weeks after his disappointment at the US Open, where he finished second for the sixth time. This is his fifth career major, for this star player, second on the all-time golf money list, behind only Tiger Woods. “I was afraid of never being able to win on a course like this – he comments at the end of the match – but today I putt in a fantastic way. It was the best lap of my career”.
All the other champions instead were defeated by the Scottish links, burned by the sun; Muirfield has lived up to its reputation as an impregnable golf stronghold. Only the Swede Henrik Stenson played par, the others went further. Big disappointment for Tiger Woods, who was never on the ball on the fourth day: inaccurate in the long game, unconvincing in the short game, he snatched sixth place from the field, shooting a total of 286 shots (+2). Excellent placement for Francesco Molinari (+3), ninth on a par with Hunter Mahan.
It was one of the most beautiful Opens of recent years, open to any result until a few holes from the end. There are many players who, between Thursday and Sunday, toyed with the idea of conquering The Open: Miguel Angel Jimenez, Zac Johnson, Angel Cabrera, Stenson, Woods, Lee Westwood, Adam Scott.
Of these Westwood was the most credible. At 40, after 60 majors, after moving from England to Florida, after hiring Tiger's coach, after improving his short game 200 percent, after averaging 27 putts per round and 85% of bunker saves, it seemed like his time had finally come. Yesterday he started last, leading by 2 strokes on his closest pursuers and until the 7th hole he held his own against the world. Then something broke. The shots have become less precise, the putter less solid, the strategy less lucid. The fear of winning did the rest.
Mickelson instead played on the counterattack. He was never in the lead, on Sunday he even risked not being framed by the cameras. The playroom was too busy chasing Lee, Tiger or Adam (who took 80% of the fairways). Instead, as only the greats can do, Lefty launched his attack at the end and, after one look at the leaderboard, he knew he could do it. Up to the 13th hole he was in the area, from that moment on he pressed the accelerator: four birdies in the last six holes, the most difficult of the course, a round of 66 on a windy day, the most difficult of all. He took a risk, because his is an attacking game and he was rewarded. He won the man of the match, a player of great experience, an ace of golf, a name that figures well in the golden book of the Honorable together with Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino or Nick Faldo.
Born in San Diego on June 16, 1970, raised on bread and golf, Mickelson begins to play left-handed because, very small, he imitates his father's swing like a mirror. He has a nice family, three children, stays close to his wife when he has cancer and overcomes it. He's reliable, faithful, has the same caddy, Jim Mackay, known as Bones, since 1992. He's kind to the fans, available to the public, smiling, loved. A nice American guy, who only complains when it comes to paying too much tax in California.
He is now a golf legend, capable of debunking even other legends. It was said that no player could win the Scottish Open and the week after The Open. Lefty succeeded this time.
