Global Golf Post - July 18, 2011

Phil Mickelson (right), with his second-place salver in
hand, chats with Open champion Darren Clarke.

SANDWICH, ENGLAND | Someone in
the Phil Mickelson camp – perhaps it
was Phil himself – finally talked the
left-handed one into believing that he
could play well in the Open Champion-
ship after having such a poor record
over the last 15 years. And he listened
to the good voice for a while on Sunday,
going out in 5-under 30 and briefly ty-
ing Darren Clarke for the lead with an
eagle at the par- 5 seventh.
After a birdie at the 10th to go 6
under for the day and pull within a
shot of Clarke – the Northern Irishman
responded with an eagle of his own at
the seventh – Mickelson then listened
to his evil twin. He made four bogeys in
his next seven holes, beginning with a
missed three-footer at the par- 3 11th,
falling decidedly out of the race.
“The putt at 11 was just a stupid
mistake,” Mickelson said afterward.
“There was nothing to it. It was just
a dumb mental error. I just lost focus
there and it hurts to throw shots away
like that when I’m behind.”
Mickelson tied Dustin Johnson for
second at 2-under 278 after a 68 on
Sunday at Royal St. George’s, but that
was after a 3-over 38 on the back nine.
It was, however, Mickelson’s highest
finish at the Open Championship, if that
is any consolation.

They called it the bonfire of the big
guns. Luke Donald and Lee Westwood,
Nos. 1 and 2 in the Official World Golf
Ranking, crashed out of the Open Cham-
pionship when the halfway cut came
at 143, 3-over par. Donald’s departure
was especially disappointing, given
that he dropped four strokes over the
closing four holes on Friday en route
to a second-round 76. Fellow English-
man Ian Poulter also failed to make the
weekend.
“I feel I have tried everything,” was the
frustrated reaction of Donald. “I’ve played
countless majors and come close a
couple of times, but I have to figure out a
way to contend a bit more.” The stark re-
ality for Donald is that in 11 Open appear-
ances, he has missed six cuts, finished in
the top 11 only twice and has a best finish
of fifth at Turnberry in 2009.
Westwood, on the other hand, could
reflect on two top-three finishes in his
previous two Opens, making his disap-
pointment all the more acute. “You don’t
want to be chasing in major champion-
ships,” he said, referring to three bogeys
in his opening five holes on Thursday.

from Nick Faldo’s native place, Welwyn
Garden City, then turned to 52-year-old
Canadian Lorne Duncan, a 30-year vet-
eran of the Tour.
The performance of the 2009 Brit-
ish Boys champion revived memories of
Birkdale 1998 when 17-year-old Justin
Rose captured many hearts by finish-
ing fourth behind Mark O’Meara. As it
happened, Lewis comfortably made the
weekend on 139, having enjoyed the
opening two rounds in the company of his
father’s hero, Tom Watson, after whom
the lad was named. “We got a lot of
cheers for Tom,” he said. “At first, I think
they were all for Tom Watson but towards
the end, when I was playing well, I think
they were also cheering for me.”
There’s nothing sweeter than
redemption and Thomas Bjorn got a
taste after Thursday’s first round. Bjorn
shot a 5-under 65 to share the first-day
lead with Lewis. Bjorn famously lost
the Open Championship at Royal St.
George’s when he left two in a green-
side bunker on the par- 3 16th in the
final round to lose to Ben Curtis.

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