Is nonsense to say that Phil Mickelson jumped in celebration when took the initiative, on Sunday afternoon at the United States Open. It is silly because at age 43 and never mistaken for a triathlete's zero body fat, Mickelson not diving. It made valiant attempts to raise, if not actually defy gravity, as we saw when he won his first Masters. These attempts to end a microsecond after start. It can delete a credit card, provided the card is placed lying down.
Still, it's fun to see. With a wedge in his hand, the man is a circus. His shot at the hole 10 of t was rough, 75 metres from the wicker basket. By then, after two double-bogeys on the front, Mickelson had given to top of head to the young Brit, Justin Rose, last seen in the company of Mickelson in the Ryder Cup last fall, winning his party's critical singles with three straight putts, one after another to the heart, dagger each delivered so elegant that Mickelson had to smile. It became even a thumbs-up in appreciation for the art of killing.
Nothing had worked Mickelson this Sunday. Every putt that have caught an edge and fallen in love with, not. Then put on the top of the gap wedge shot 10. Came to Earth perhaps 12 feet from the basket and rolled toward the hole - and Mickelson raised on their toes to see what was going on - and it does not blink - and once your eyes wide open - and when the ball rolled into the Cup, dead center, Mickelson made theirs almost jump. He managed to raise both arms in triumph Atletico.
Suddenly, with eight holes to play, he led the U.S. Open by a shot. It was Sam Snead of his time, a multiple main champion unable to win the biggest tournament of all. He finished second in the open five times. No other man had ever done that. Think about it. To finish in second place, once is good, better twice, three times a feat. But to come so close and yet so far four times seem unfair, and when a man passes five times, will surely feel the pain defined by Saint Bobby Jones when he wrote, "we are all stubborn victims of inexorable fate".
So, surely, it would be time for Mickelson. Sunday was his birthday. It was father's day, and that the father could have done something more paternal than staying at home, in California, for graduation from eighth grade of his 13-year-old daughter and then fly overnight to make his first round tee time on 7:11? More important, he was playing well. Not really but not very awake sleepwalking, Alternatively, opened with a 67, which turned out to be as good a round as no one had all week. In addition, loved the grand, old Merion Golf Club for this course. It was a masterpiece of golf course architecture, a test of the mind, as well as skill.
Beginning of the week, felt confident enough to speak about his open history. You may remember he pulled one of opens, at winged foot, with successive little desirable hits the hole 72. That time, he said, "I am such an idiot."
Mickelson wings on this day lead lasted just minutes. Playing two groups head, Rose rolled in a 12 to 20 foot to draw even and another at the 13th to go ahead. From the tee 13, in a pit playing 115 yards, the last true hole birdie of the round, Mickelson flew a pitching wedge too far. The ball fell into the deep rough right of the green. He could not get it up and down. Down two shots now, reached five East course's toughest holes, needing a birdie or two, to catch rose. By then, inexorable fate had taken its decision: no, Phil.
Putts were out again. "The race felt fabulous throughout the day, from the first hole," he said. "I can't believe that ball not to go." Second hole, hit a good putt. It was really rough around that hole there. I came into a good putt for eagle at 4. Hit a good putt on 6. I thought I did. I thought that I did one 8. Thinking that I made one 9, man. One in 11 wasn't great, but I thought I had a chance in 12. "Certainly 16, I thought I did".
Yet, Phil.
Related: Mickelson close of failure in the U.S. Open
Not in Pinehurst, not on Bethpage Black, not in Shinnecock, not at winged foot, in Bethpage, New York a second time.
Not in Merion, either and this time it hurt more than any other.
"Quite possibly, yes", said. "I think this was my best chance." He played well, he loved the place. "It is probably the most difficult for me because at 43 and coming so close five times, would have changed what I hope this tournament together and form would have looked at my record".
A curious say that it would have changed it looked to his record, and explained it.
"If I never out in the open air", said, "then I look back and I think, whenever I think of the US Open, I think that Heartbreak".