Column: Mickelson begins road to redemption at the Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Phil Mickelson won’t ever obtain the kind of adulation that when shadowed his each step.

Too many missteps alongside the best way.

However give Lefty credit score. He certain LIVened issues up Sunday afternoon on the Masters.

Already the oldest main champion in golf historical past, the 52-year-old Mickelson made a powerful run at a fourth inexperienced jacket.

The followers had been a bit timid of their response, even after he drained a 15-foot birdie putt on the closing gap for a 7-under 65 — the very best rating anybody posted on a brisk Easter afternoon.

But there have been particular indicators of warming towards the man who led golf into an unsightly civil warfare.

Mickelson has by no means backed down from his determination to enroll with LIV Golf, eagerly accepting a generational quantity of wealth from the Saudi-backed tour, even whereas acknowledging it got here with all types of sportswashing baggage.

He wound up being the unlikely standard-bearer for the insurgent league’s first main showdown with the PGA Tour, although he didn’t wish to take a look at it that manner.

“Separate. Separate. They’re separate points,” Mickelson insisted. “Golf and the skilled golf ecosystem and the way that’s been dealt with all through my profession, two completely separate issues.”

The established group continues to be on high after LIV’s greatest weapon, Brooks Koepka, melted down over the marathon of a 30-hole day.

Mickelson most well-liked to give attention to the 2 factions discovering some widespread floor at this hallowed course in japanese Georgia. He absolutely is aware of there have been loads of people who would’ve been happy if invites had not gone out to the 18 LIV gamers who obtained them.

“I’m very appreciative that we’re right here, that we’re in a position to play within the majors,” Mickelson stated. “And I believed it was thrilling that this event rose above all of it to have the very best gamers on the planet right here and misplaced all of the pettiness.”

Koepka headed out to the seventh gap not lengthy after dawn to finish his third spherical, buffeted by a four-stroke lead however weighed down by the large expectations of the upstart tour.

You simply knew that LIV CEO and Commissioner Greg Norman was desirous to crow over a Masters victory by one in all his guys, one thing he by no means managed himself.

The Shark should wait a bit longer, at the least till the PGA Championship subsequent month.

By the point Koepka lastly trudged off the 18th inexperienced for the second time, some 11 hours after his day started, Jon Rahm was the man being sized up for the inexperienced jacket. An excruciating stretch of twenty-two consecutive holes with out a birdie was the LIV star’s undoing.

However lo and behold, right here got here Mickelson to revive a little bit of LIV satisfaction.

By no means thoughts that his sport and picture had been in complete freefall since his age-defying triumph on the 2021 PGA Championship. All of the sudden, at a course he is aware of so effectively, he rediscovered his swagger.

In contrast to his LIV colleague, Mickelson had no hassle making birdies. He buried eight of them over 18 holes to turn into the oldest participant in Masters historical past to complete so excessive on the leaderboard.

Mickelson’s 8-under 280 left him tied for the runner-up spot with Koepka, 4 strokes behind Rahm. Raymond Floyd had been the oldest to complete second on the Masters, some three years youthful that Lefty when he achieved the feat in 1992.

“Regardless of the end result, I had a lot enjoyable immediately,” stated Mickelson, who completed a few hours earlier than Rahm tapped in his closing putt. “I’m grateful to be part of this event and to be right here competing after which to play effectively, it means rather a lot.”

A 12 months in the past, Mickelson didn’t even make it to Magnolia Lane.

Dealing with an unlimited backlash after he referred to as the Saudis “scary (expletives)” however stated he’d be prepared to do enterprise with them anyway, he skipped the Masters and basically reduce himself off from {the golfing} world.

Even when he returned to the course as an LIV participant, captaining a staff goofily often called the “HyFlyers,” he appeared to have forgotten all the talents that made him one of many sport’s best gamers.

However on the observe vary, he was more and more inspired by the pictures he was making. He blamed his poor scores on a scarcity of focus, insisting that a couple of dangerous swings stored ruining his rounds, making his scores look far worse than they actually had been.

We’ve all heard these kind of excuses earlier than from struggling golfers, however Mickelson’s efficiency over 4 days at Augusta Nationwide fulfilled his optimism.

With a physique that hasn’t been ravaged by the kind of accidents which can be shortening Tiger Woods’ profession, Mickelson believes he has a couple of extra years to compete in opposition to the very best gamers on the planet — even those that are almost half his age, just like the 28-year-old Rahm.

Mickelson additionally factors to LIV, with its 54-hole tournaments, no cuts and staff competitors, as giving him much more motivation to carry out at a excessive stage. He unabashedly wore the “HyFlyers” emblem on his cap, shirt and bag by way of all 4 rounds in Augusta.

“I’m comfortable the place I’m at,” Mickelson stated. “I needed one thing totally different for lots of causes, and I’m getting rather a lot out of it as a result of having a staff surroundings — once I was in highschool and faculty golf — it elevated my sport.

“That’s what that is doing for me at LIV. I’m not saying it’s for everyone, nevertheless it’s been superior for me, and I find it irresistible.”

Whereas the LIV tour has been ridiculed for its weak fields and seemingly over-the-hill stars, its gamers carried out admirably on the Masters.

Half of the highest six got here from the breakaway tour, with Mickelson and Koepka joined by Patrick Reed. Twelve LIV gamers made the reduce.

Mickelson seems ahead to extra head-to-head clashes.

There’s room within the sport, he insisted, for each excursions.

“This event isn’t about what tour you play from,” he stated. “That’s what the sport of golf must be. There’s at all times going to be and will at all times be a spot for historic occasions like this, nevertheless it’s OK to have a little bit little bit of distinction and selection within the sport of golf.”

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Paul Newberry is the nationwide sports activities columnist for The Related Press. Write to him at pnewberry(at)ap.org or at https://twitter.com/pnewberry1963

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