Play suspension frustrates Mickelson
Jack Nicklaus always said hearing other golfers gripe about their game is a sure sign that those players do not pose a threat in the competition. Phil Mickelson let the windy weather get the best of him and couldn’t contain his poor attitude, complaining about the play suspension that occurred this afternoon at the British Open.
The announcement came after Mickelson completed his second round Friday. The high winds are a characteristic trait of the St Andrews course, which sits atop a high cliff in the Scottish town of Fife. But the weather has almost never been a factor for suspending play on the Old Course due to the excellent drainage capacity of the sand-based links and infrequency of thunderstorms.
“I’m happy for those guys,” Mickelson said with bitter sarcasm of the players who would be afforded a break from the bad weather.
Shooting off steam over something as uncontrollable as the weather, especially at a course where the thrill and challenge is to overcome its turbulent greens, is not sportsmanlike. Besides, when the wind is so strong that the balls don’t even sit still on the green there is no choice but to halt play. And Mickelson shouldn’t be in such a foul mood considering the level of his skills and success. He has won four major championships and 38 PGA Tour events. Mickelson remained at even par through the 36 rounds he’s played so far.
Mickelson admitted that he let his poor luck with the draw get to him, telling ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi that “It kind of crept into my attitude starting out.” He clarified this morning that,"What I meant by that is a good round in the morning [Thursday] was probably 6 under par and when we teed off, a good round was probably 2 or 3 under par, and I was still trying to think 6 under par . . . And I had to adjust to what a good round was under the conditions I was facing, and I just kept trying to press the issue."
But whether or not it was a bad attitude or a failure to figure out what he needed to do to adjust his expectations, Mickelson still managed a decent round. Considering the luck of the draw is a constant factor in the PGA, Lefty shouldn’t have let it get the better of him. He is playing at too advanced a level to let any of those factors impede his chances at the title.
"I'm frustrated, because I love this golf course and this tournament, and I felt I was playing well coming in," Mickelson continued. "I didn't play well the first two days, but I felt I was playing well after some good practice sessions. And I didn't play well the first two days, and I've gotten kind of an unfortunate draw.”
Mickelson’s best finish at the Open was one top 10 finish, and can add this year’s wind to his long list of British Open disappointments. He teed off to a complete a good round, which is more than can be said for those players who teed off after him. After an hour and six minutes of suspension the wind didn’t suddenly become calm, and Tiger Woods ended up bogeying his first two holes.
Miguel Angel Jimenez shot a 67 after teeing off in the rain three groups in front of Mickelson. Jimenez’s partners had to alternate between clubs and umbrellas as they made their way around the course in comfortable temperatures and a growing wind.
"Obviously the wind picked up a little bit on the back nine and then it's tricky on that cross wind to get it close to the hole," said Jimenez’s playing partner Lee Westwood. Westwood finished the second round with a 71. Unlike Mickelson Westwood has a more rational point of view on Friday’s turn of events:
"You can break it down and the draw does play a big part in the Open Championship. You just hope it's not too drastic a change, which this may not be.”
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