AUGUSTA, Ga. — There was a time when Phil Mickelson could barely walk around Augusta National Park without a giant wave of Tiger-sized humanity washing over him. A call of “Let's go Phil!” Every time the sound echoed, it echoed through the pine trees.
Augusta National patrons will sympathize with Phil when he has trouble off the tee or around the greens – he plays just like the rest of us! And they made a mental note of how they avoided that trouble, planning to use Phil-style stingers and bold flop shots at their local munis the following weekend.
Phil Mickelson literally had nothing in common with his off-the-rope patrons aside from some questionable fashion choices. Yet they felt that Phil was one of them, damn it, just a cheerful guy who liked to play golf and give thumbs up here and there.
That was then. This is now. When Mickelson wandered alone into the pine straw to the left of No. 9, looking for his wayward tee shot, he surprised several patrons. While Woods commands thousands of patrons, counting most of Mickelson's traveling gallery, he still has two hands free to carry the commemorative Masters Cup of domestic beer.
Why do crustal movements occur? Mickelson inflamed her own reputation in late 2021 when she made “horrible mother” comments about LIV Golf and Saudi Arabian supporters. Putting aside the fact that Mickelson was mostly right about how the golf world is going to collapse and collapse. The entire LIV Golf saga, in which millions of dollars flowed into his pockets from questionable sources, negates Mickelson's “every guy” image and opens a huge rift between him and his most dedicated and loyal fans. .
Augusta National is constantly in the process of shaping not only its future, but its past. While the more unsightly elements of the club's history have been allowed to fade from memory, the images of Ernie and Jack and the young Tiger remain ever-present. There hasn't been much promotion for Mickelson on the Masters Channel, and he's been virtually silent this week. Nick Faldo said Mickelson was “completely quiet” at the Champions Dinner. He was very different from Mickelson's usual cheerful and engaging personality.
Mickelson is a three-time Masters champion and has the ability to talk for hours about everything from Russian ballet to quantum physics. However, he did not receive or wanted a designated interview slot before the Masters. He declined to speak to the media after Monday's practice round, and post-round conversations on Thursday and Friday were brief and largely limited to the wind's effect on the match.
Perhaps this is what Mickelson's future holds at Augusta. I usually take a standing tee time here during the second week of April, and it's great to see him join the ranks of past champions circling the course almost anonymously, followed only by an older gallery. They're weird.
Mickelson finished Saturday's round just before 4 p.m. at two over, six over for the tournament, and 13 strokes behind Scottie Scheffler's lead. When he shook hands with his playing partner Saheeth Segala, he received a polite round of applause, and you and I would receive much the same reaction then. The Masters Gallery is not polite and supportive.
If you listen closely, you'll hear a voice say, “Let's go, Phil!” The cheers are still there. But now, most patrons sit in chairs waiting for Tiger or Scotty while Mickelson passes by.
