Phil Mickelson must find more fairways
Since his shift to the claw putting grip, Mickelson has been shooting some low rounds. At the Deutsche Bank Open, Lefty shot his second successive round of 68. The difference between the two rounds was that the first one was a bogey free round, whereas in
the second, he had some tough time.
It is a good sign that things are starting to gel up for Phil as he prepares for the Ryder Cup. His putting has improved immensely after the adjustments he made with his grip and putter.
However, there is one alarming sign. He must find more fairways in order to give himself more birdie opportunities. On Saturday, at TPC Boston, Phil only managed the fairway six times. This is absolutely not acceptable for a player of his calibre.
"I didn’t hit as many fairways so I wasn’t able to be as aggressive into the greens," Mickelson explained
Winds did play a part during the second round. On Saturday, there were cross winds, and it is pretty difficult to control the ball when there are cross winds because the ball deviates quite a lot.
Mickelson, however, is happy with the way he is putting at the moment. He added some extra weights so that his putter flows smoothly.
While talking to the media at TPC Boston on Saturday he said,
"But I shot 3 under my back nine, the front, and made some good birdies coming in. I putted well, and I didn’t think it was playing that easy. There were a lot of crosswinds today, which is a different wind than what we had the day before".
As it stands, Mickelson is six shots behind the leader, Rory McIlroy, who hit second consecutive 65 to lead the tournament by one stroke.
"I know that I need a hot round tomorrow for a good chance on Monday’s final round, but the way I’m playing and the way I feel on the greens, I feel like I can do it," Mickelson said.
If Mickelson wants to shoot a stunning round on Sunday then he must try to ensure that he hits more fairways. He is putting beautifully and just a few good shots will earn him numerous birdie opportunities.
Lefty was going perfectly until the 15th and 16th where he bogeyed to lose two shots. If he avoids such errors then there is a big chance for him, one never knows.
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