Thursday, June 15
By Bob Harig
Special to ESPN Golf Online
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- With a wide smile and an eager demeanor, Phil Mickelson looked ahead with great optimism, knowing that the past is only a steppingstone to the future.
He spoke in reverential tones about Pebble Beach, about his chances to win the U.S. Open, about his desire to win a major championship.
|  | | As the fog rolled in, Phil Mickelson's score improved Thursday at Pebble Beach. |
The discussion took place here in 1992.
Although similar topics were covered this week, Mickelson had the same goals when he came to Pebble Beach eight years ago to begin his professional career: win a major championship.
He's still waiting.
Nobody is more surprised than Mickelson that he has been unable to win one of golf's most prestigious tournaments. He is the winningest active player on the PGA Tour without a major.
"To have won zero majors to this point is disappointing," said Mickelson, who turns 30 on Friday. "I certainly would not have guessed that eight years ago."
If Mickelson is pressing, he doesn't show it -- although he had to be wondering during Thursday's first round when scoring conditions were basically benign and he was over par. While Mickelson was floundering at 3-over through 12 holes, one group behind him was Tiger Woods, playing bogey-free golf on his way to a 65.
But Mickelson saved the day -- and perhaps the tournament -- with birdies on three of the last six holes to finish at even-par 71.
That's a lot better than some other major championship hopefuls. David Duval, who is also looking for his first major, shot 75 and is 10 shots behind Woods. Sergio Garcia also shot 75.
With three victories this year, Mickelson has run his PGA haul of hardware to 16 wins, which puts the dreaded title "Best Player Without a Major" squarely on his back.
A case can be made for that honor going to Colin Montgomerie, the six-time European money title winner who has never won an official stroke play event in the United States. And Duval is also a good candidate, although he's won five less times than Mickelson.
But Mickelson's record of late and overall is better, especially in major championships. He's played 26 majors as a pro and has finished top-10 in 10. Throw out the British Open, where he's never finished better than 24th in six appearances, and he's been top-10 in half the majors he's played in the United States.
Of course, nobody remembers the near-misses, although if destiny is on his side, Mickelson will join the major club this week at Pebble Beach.
His closest call at a major came last year at Pinehurst, where he was embroiled in a memorable back-nine duel with Payne Stewart. It took one-putt greens on the final three holes, including a 15-footer at 18, for Stewart to prevail by a shot.
So much of Mickelson's story a year ago centered around the impending birth of his first child. His wife, Amy, was back home in Scottsdale, Ariz., ready to give birth any day.
As it turned out, the baby, Amanda, was born the day after the final around. Amy went into labor right about the time Phil would have been teeing off in an 18-hole playoff with Stewart.
"It was the biggest emotional swing you could ever imagine," Mickelson said. "From coming so close to winning the greatest championship in golf, then following that with the birth of your first child the very next day. I will always remember it because of the emotions involved."
And Mickelson has come to believe that Stewart's victory was meant to be in light of his death last October.
"I've been reminiscing the last couple of days, thinking about the match with Payne, thinking about the birth of our child, thinking about the last year and what has taken place, watching my child develop ... and thinking about how Payne's family no longer has that opportunity," he said. "That's the biggest tragedy of all the occurrences that took place last year."
Much of Mickelson's lackluster 1999 was attributed to his wife's difficult pregnancy. It was the first time since he turned pro that he did not win a tournament, and many believed he had become complacent.
But Mickelson has shown a strong competitiveness this year. He's devoted more time to his short game, which has paid off with better scores.
Mickelson is fifth in the World Rankings, matching the highest rank of his career. He is the only player other than Tiger Woods to win at least three official events this year (Woods has captured four).
And with 16 wins, Mickelson is among some elite company. He is tied with Mark O'Meara and Nick Price and is closing in on Curtis Strange (17), Greg Norman (18), Woods, Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw (19). All of those players have won majors.
Mickelson knows its about time he joined the club.
And he's happy he still has the chance.
"I think I'm in pretty good shape," he said.
Bob Harig, who covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times, writes a column every Tuesday for ESPN Golf Online. |  |
