Mike Scully saw first-hand Tuesday that Phil Mickelson didn’t retreat into the land of self-pity after his debacle on the 18th hole at Winged Foot.
The U.S. Open runner-up played an early-morning round at Medinah Country Club to get a quick look at the site of next month’s PGA Championship. His group included Scully, a 260-pound former NFL offensive lineman and current head pro at the club.
With his size, Scully can put a good bruise on the ball. His first tee shot blew past Mickelson’s by about 15 to 20 yards. That didn’t sit well with Mickelson. After playing the par-3 second and using a fairway wood off the third hole, he made a statement when he reached for something extra on the long par-4 fourth.
“He used his 45-inch driver on the first hole,” Scully said. “Then on the fourth, he hit it about 20 yards past me. I said, `What driver did you use?’ He said, `That’s the 46-inch driver I used to win the Masters. You won’t hit it by me again, big boy.'”
Scully reported that Mickelson hit virtually every fairway en route to a smooth 66.
“He looked great to me,” Scully said.
Mickelson will have a chance to convince everybody else that Winged Foot is in his rearview mirror when he begins play Thursday in the Cialis Western Open at Cog Hill.
Mickelson seemed confident Tuesday he is not dwelling on what happened a few Sundays back. He had a standard line that he repeated several times.
“I don’t want one bad hole to affect my play in the next couple of majors,” Mickelson said.
It was one especially bad hole. Nursing a one-shot lead going into 18, Mickelson bounced his drive off a hospitality tent, leading to a meltdown double-bogey that cost him the tournament.
Mickelson still blames a lack of execution, not a lack of judgment, for his demise. He hasn’t second-guessed himself over his decision to use driver off the 18th tee despite having hit only two fairways all day.
“My execution just wasn’t what I wanted that week,” Mickelson said. “Yet I fought and hung in there. Unfortunately, I just needed to hang in there one more hole and wasn’t able to do it.”
Again, Mickelson stuck with the same verse. One hole doesn’t make a season, especially one that includes his second victory in the Masters.
“I’m not ever going to forget it, that’s obvious,” Mickelson said. “But what I’m not going to do is let it negatively affect my performance in upcoming majors. I have two more this year. I’m playing too well, and I have a system of preparation that has been helping me play some of my best golf.”
That isn’t to say Mickelson was a joy to be around after leaving Winged Foot on that Sunday night. He has dreamed of winning the U.S. Open, and he spent so much time preparing for the tournament, he practically became a resident of New York.
After the tournament, a heartbroken Mickelson probably could have used some time alone. He never got the chance. His three small children descended on him when he arrived at his rental home.
“It basically went, `Did you win Daddy?’
“`No, I’m sorry.’
“`Do you want pizza?'” Mickelson recalled.
His wife, Amy, said the family jumped into their regular routine when they arrived in San Diego. Activities included a trip to Disneyland to celebrate daughter Amanda’s birthday.
“It could have been really fun, but it was just fun,” Mickelson said forlornly.
Mickelson didn’t touch a club for a few days.
Then, less than a week after Winged Foot, Mickelson surprised his wife when he said he was flying over to Hoylake in England to prepare for the British Open.
“I said, `You’re doing what? That’s great,'” Amy said. “Instead of curling up in a ball, he said he was going to go over and get ready [for the British]. It blew me away.”
Mickelson’s decision to jump right back in convinced Amy her husband wasn’t going to let the U.S. Open disappointment drag him down.
“One of my favorite things about Phil is that he has an incredible amount of perspective,” Amy Mickelson said. “He is a very secure person. He knows who he is. He’s not going to let this define him. He has had some highs, and this isn’t his first low. Hopefully, he will have a few more highs.”
Mickelson got this week off to a good start with his round at Medinah. Scully said Mickelson “putted tremendously.”
He asked Scully several questions, especially about breaks in the greens.
But mostly it was a fun, relaxing round for Mickelson and the rest of the group.
“He had a good time,” Scully said. “He definitely had his A-game.”
Mickelson could use his A-game at Cog Hill. It would go a long way toward eliminating the bad taste from Winged Foot.
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esherman@tribune.com
