Phil Mickelson and Pebble Beach

February 28, 2010

It’s funny sometimes how things in life seem to complete a full circle reaching some sort of deserved gratification which got me thinking about the pros and cons (excuse the pun….intended!) of playing golf tournaments for most of your adult career. Case in point being the illustrious, if not somewhat eccentric, professional of one of golf’s most determined, yet gracious players, Phil Mickelson. Strangely, Phil who plays golf as a “lefty” otherwise carries on with all other activities in life as a right handed person. He was also the first left handed player to ever win a US Amateur title. He learned to play golf with his left hand by standing opposite his father and mimicking his swing. He turned pro in 1992 after his graduation from Arizona State. Mickelson went on to win many PGA tournaments including the Byron Nelson Golf Classic and the World Series of Golf in 1996 which was to begin a flood of success which continues to today.

Phil, who is no stranger to California Golf Courses, in particular Pebble Beach, having won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 1998, returned this year to attempt to take the trophy back but was pipped at the post by Dustin Johnson who finished 16 under to quench Phil’s -11 challenge. According to his website readers, who have released an unofficial 2010 PGA schedule, he is due to play in Pebble beach again in June where he will compete for the prestigious U.S. Open Championship title. He may find this years competition a little tricky on the Arnold Palmer course because it has been primed with some new enhancements in order to make the contest more of a battle. Pebble Beach Golf Links official website enlightens us by quoting the following:

“In preparation, Pebble Beach has unveiled a number of course enhancements, all under the direction of legendary champion and course designer Arnold Palmer. Pebble Beach Golf Links has recently been strengthened to enhance player appreciation, heighten the challenge and exceed guest and championship expectations.”

This will be the fifth time that the resort has hosted this event and the feeling I get from the build up to this spectacular is that both the players and spectators are in for a sweet treat. Phil, who in the past was like many golfers has had his share of injuries inflicted by the rigorous strain the game can put on both the body and mind looks to be in good shape for this years schedule. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. On the negative side, a little scandal seems to have erupted at the beginning of this year concerning the use of an illegal wedge. Fellow PGA Tour professional Scott McCarron accused him of “cheating” for using the Ping Eye 2 wedge, a club featuring squared grooves that have been banned as of January 1. Despite this controversy, I believe that Phil will go on to surprise his fans yet again and show his rivals exactly what he is made of by putting up a square challenge and taking home a good fistful of accolades to boot.