Phil Mickelson withdraws from the Memorial after opening 79
Phil Mickelson announced his withdrawal from the Memorial Tournament after carding a seven-over par 79 in the opening round at the Muirfield Village Golf Club on Thursday, May 31, 2012.
Mickelson had been continuously playing golf for the last three weeks, which caused him fatigue and exhaustion in the end.
As the pro star is bust battling fitness issues, the US Open is about to begin within a week. This was a major reason he opted to rest rather than completing the Jack Nicklaus hosted event.
According to Mickelson, the event could have helped him make preparations for the Olympic Club. However, his performance, right from the start of the first tee, was below par.
Therefore, it was useless for him to continue and he preferred to take some rest that may help him in a better way.
“The course here is in such great shape. It’s a beautiful way to get ready for the U.S. Open,” said Mickelson, who carded five bogeys and a double bogey on the final seven holes he played.
“But I’m hitting it so poorly that . . . I have to look at what’s best for me to play in the U.S. Open, and I’m going to take the next few days to kind of rest up”.
“I’m disappointed with how I played today, but I’ve got to be more big picture-oriented and think about the Open and what’s best to get my best golf out there,” he added.
According to Mickelson, he participated in the Wells Fargo Championship, the Players Championship and HP Byron Nelson Championship prior to moving to Italy and France with his wife to celebrate her birthday.
Therefore, the tough routine could have caused him to feel a little tired, which definitely can affect his performance in the second major event of the year if he does not take some rest.
He now plans to meet his swing coach Butch Harmon who will help him make some improvements in his swing. Thereafter, he will move to Olympic Club to have a look at the conditions at the course.
“I’ll probably go see (swing coach Butch Harmon) and see if I can get things straightened out,” he said.
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