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Phil Mickelson recently accepted a special exemption to play in his hometown USOpen in San Diego next month. Wouldn’t it be something if he earned his way to Torrey Pines instead as the oldest major champion in history?
Yes, Phil the thrill is at it again, and never mind that he turns 51 next month. On another wild and intriguing day at the 103rd USPGA Championship, Mickelson followed up his opening round of 70 with a 69 to set the halfway pace from the morning wave.
‘I expect him to contend over the weekend and I wouldn’t put it past him to be standing here on Sunday night with the Wanamaker trophy,’ said his playing partner, Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington. ‘He has the bit between his teeth and he believes he can do it in these conditions. Even second would be a disappointment to Phil.’
Phil Mickelson is in the mix heading into the weekend’s action at the US PGA Championship
South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen is at the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage
Brooks Koepka is level with Mickelson on five under, just one shot adrift of Oosthuizen
Mickelson, for his part, gave a cute response when asked about his lofty status at halfway. ‘If it was Sunday night and you’d told me that I was leading then I’d really have enjoyed that, but right now it’s nothing more than a great deal of fun,’ he said.
As ever, it was fun watching him, with his enormous gallery – are there really only 10,000 people allowed in here? – revelling in his magic. On an Ocean Course that places enormous strain on the scrambling abilities of every player, we’ve been treated to another exquisite demonstration from the man with arguably the greatest short game of all.
From his side of the draw, Mickelson finished with a two stroke advantage over South Africans Branden Grace and Christiaan Bezuidenhout. Among the afternoon starters, another South African, together with a decorated collection of the modern generation’s heavy hitters, appeared to be assembling to threaten Mickelson’s dream.
Mickelson followed up his opening round of 70 with a 69 on another wild day at Kiawah Island
Five-time major champion Mickelson has been rolling back the years at Kiawah Island
Former Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen was one ahead of Mickelson with two to go. Brooks Koepka, bidding to win the event for the third time in four years, was alongside the lefty with the dangerous last three holes to play. Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama was in the mix once more at one behind, while Bryson DeChambeau was just two adrift with five to play. Paul Casey, runner-up last year, will have a chance to go one better after a second successive 71 to be three back.
Rory McIlroy was mounting a decent fightback as well, at three under for his round with three to play and only five adrift.
It was at the USPGA in 1968 that 48 year old Julius Boros became the oldest major winner. In the last 15 years, the fiftysomethings have certainly had their moments. Greg Norman, aged 53, led the Open after three rounds at Birkdale in 2008 before settling for tied third.
The following year, there was Tom Watson’s heartbreaking near miss at the age of 59. If a man in his fifties does ever win a major, it will surely happen on a links course where distance is less a factor, or a faux-links such as this one.
As ever, it was fun watching Mickelson, with his enormous gallery revelling in his magic
Mickelson and Harrington first met when they were on opposing sides at the 1991 Walker Cup at Portmarnock and they’ve gone on to win eight majors between them.
It’s not just Mickelson who can still play, either. Harrington actually looked as if he would end up with a better score until he made a mess of the easier downwind holes to complete his round. After starting from the 10th, Mickelson came home in 31 shots with four birdies in his last six holes. Harrington, who turns 50 in August, played the same stretch in two over to finish with a 73 to be six behind.
The conditions took their toll on some of the biggest names. Dustin Johnson was playing a major in his home state for the first time but, like his defence of the Masters last month, he will have another weekend off following rounds of 76, 74. He’s the first world number one to miss consecutive cuts in majors since Norman way back in 1997.
Jordan Spieth had endured two of the worst putting rounds of his career to be on four over par
Jordan Spieth, in such good form coming into the event as he went in search of the career Grand Slam, had two of the worst putting rounds of his career for scores of 73, 75 but made it safely through on four over par There was no need to look hard to see where much of the damage was inflicted. There was hardly a player in the field who didn’t have lumps taken out of them by the tortuous five hole finishing stretch. A couple of the tees were moved up but it still didn’t deliver much comfort.
Grace was the clear leader on six under par until he finished double bogey, bogey. Everything paled, however, when compared to American Cameron Tringale, whose scorecard might hang in the clubhouse after this event to show what can happen over that brutal finishing stretch.
The 33 year old Californian was just two off the lead standing on the 14th tee. He walked off the 18th green 15 shots behind Mickelson and out of the tournament. He had a six on one par three, a seven on another and a ten on a par five. What a game.Sadly, the wind is due to switch tomorrow, and the final five holes will lose their teeth. It will be sweet relief, mind you, for the men who will have to play them.
Ian Poulter must have been the only man disappointed with a 70, but he’s just six off the lead
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