Phil Mickelson suffers another defeat in the elusive US Open
Phil Mickelson, the lone American torch bearer at this year’s national major, the US Open, had to suffer another setback when he finished well down the leaderboard tied for 54th.
But on a more positive note, the loss has not been as heart-breaking as it had been for so many times. Mickelson has finished runner-up for a painfully five-times in the US Open and this marked his 21st attempt to bag the elusive title.
Mickelson was coming into the tournament with a strong form and had won the Shell Houston Open on the PGA Tour this year. He opened up his bid for the title with a disappointing three-over, 74 and the way he kept hitting the roughs, he was glad to get away
with a 74. He dropped three shots all over the course and topped them with a disastrous double-bogey at par-three, 10th.
Although pulling in a comparatively better round the next day, Mickelson along with the rest of the field, were well aware that if there was anything which could stop Rory McIlroy to clinch the title, it would be something on the likes of the Masters where
he suffered a meltdown in the final round. McIlroy grabbed the lowest double-digit score at the halfway mark in the history of the event with 11-under.
"That stuff happens," Mickelson said. "I thought the course was set up great. I thought that the soft conditions obviously made it a little bit easier than everybody had hoped. But the setup was wonderful. I thought it was a well-run event. The people came
out and really supported the tournament, and I just didn’t play how I had hoped."
With inflated hopes after his second round performance, Mickelson was hoping to contend for the top slot but to his utter despise, third round turned out to be the worst of them all.
Starting off with a bogey on the front nine, Mickelson carded no less than three of them before falling for deadly double-bogeys at par-five, 16th and another at par-four, 17th. He closed his round with six-over and somehow knew that
he will have to wait for another year to attempt for the elusive title.
Mickelson carded an even-par on the final day with the least amount of bogeys for the 18 holes the whole weekend. The 41-year-old would have finished in much respectable position, had he not stumbled with a double-bogey on par-four, 18th.
The left-handed four-times major winner closed his account for a seven-over, 291, for joint 54th alongside young Italian Matteo Manassero his countryman Edoardo Molinari, fellow countrymen J.J. Henry and Anthony Kim, and Spaniard Alvaro Quiros.
Mickelson has now dropped down to number six in world rankings with Steve Stricker, the only American in the top five. Little deterred with his lopsided performance, Mickelson is still hopeful of his future ventures in the remaining two Grand Slams for the
year.
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