Monday, July 22, 2013
Phil Mickelson's British Open Win - One for the Good Guys
Anyone who was at Muirfield on Sunday - or who watched the final round of golf's 2013 British Open on TV - will never forget it because they were part of a rare day in the history of golf. Phil Mickelson came from 5 behind the leader, Lee Westwood, to win the Open in a fashion never before seen. He played flawless golf, ending the front nine at 1 under par. And he did it while Muirfield was demanding heavy bogey tribute from the entire rest of the leader board. In fact, Mickelson was such a longshot as a possible winner that the TV cameras didn't even follow him on his front nine. They were busy recording the bogeys of Woods and Westwood while Phil was quietly holding his own against the mythic Muirfield course. But when he was "suddenly" only two behind the faltering leaders early in his back nine, the cameras took notice. And make no mistake, Phil Mickelson did not slide into the victory because others were playing mediocre golf. He attacked the back nine, relentlessly but intelligently, using three-woods on 17 to make his third birdie heading home. He actually birdied 4 of the last 6 holes, an almost impossible task on one of the toughest links courses in the UK. His caddie cried as he birdied 18 just to prove to himself he could. None of the four players still on the course could catch him after Westwood put his ball into the tall grass on 17. And so -- the young man whom fate had marked to follow in the shadow of one of golf's greats, Tiger Woods, who was often said to be too nice to win a major, who was called the bridesmaid and the winningest golfer who never would win a major, although he finally broke through at the Masters and has now won three green jackets plus a PGA title -- Phil Mickelson has won the Claret Cup that goes to the victor of the British Open. Many experts in Britain are calling his Sunday round possibly the best round ever played in the entire 174-year history of the British Open. ~~~~~ It just proves, dear readers, that good guys do sometimes finish first.
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Phil Mickelson did himself proud, his belief system proud, all the weekend golfer's that mimic his style proud, all the kids that he is a hero to and those that he has personally touched and helped to understand that being great at anything comes from within first proud.
ReplyDeletePhil joined the group of great golfers that took the game out side the ropes to those who pay the freight with the purchase of clubs, shirts, hats, balls, golf instruction video, etc. He's the new Arnie, the new Jack, the new Bobby, the new Gene, the new Gary, the new Lee, and yes maybe even the new Tiger.
Although I watched it via a recording Phil put on a golf clinic for the world to watch. He played the course and took "daring chances" where the course said toe all "try me if your brave".
ReplyDeleteAnd at the 18th Muirfield, certainly one of the 5 finest test of golf in the world, bowed to it's master.
Isn't it strange how the games that we play and follow mimic life so very closely. When we loose faith in our leaders and once hero's along comes a "dark horse" that turns our heads and sets the path straight again.
ReplyDeletePhil is no savior or anything like that. But he does follow the rules, he loyal to his wife and family, and he treats total strangers with respect and dignity. And in the end he is rewarded for duty well performed.
Phil win can be explained from many fronts. Most that want to diluted the victory seems to want to explain it by the failure of the other "BIG" names falling back. Not failing, just not up to par on a given day.
ReplyDeleteWell they all were playing the same course, on the same day, at relatively the same time of day, under the same weather conditions.All the competitors have the same "legally" allowed equipment of their choice, balls were within the legal acceptable limits, etc, etc.
And only one person, the winner was able to beat Muirfield and best one of the finest course in the world and perhaps the most changeling British course of all including St. Andrew's.
This was nothing more than a great clinic that Phil put on Sunday afternoon for the world of golf to witness. There was Phil and Muirfield battling each other. And in the end only one could claim victory.
And it was the human factor, the will, the desire, the opportunistic attitude,the shear ability of Phil to reach deep inside his soul and find that little bit extra, his willingness to bet all on a couple shots, his willingness to risk another failure at a major, and for all of his effort HISTORY was his and he was forever part of HISTORY.
One hundred years ago this past April President T. Roosevelt gave a lasting speech about judging a person not solely by his achievements but by his efforts
ReplyDelete"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Today President Roosevelt we can judge one golfer who didn't fail yesterday at Murifield by both standards.
A LIST OF 1 IS BETTER THAN A LIST OF NONE ... FOR THE GOOD GUYS.
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