Phil Mickelson won the 103rd USPGA golf championship at Kiawah Island. Mickelson, who was 50 years old at the time, will be turning 51 years of age this month[/caption]
It is always a kind of a fairy story when an older and a more experienced player whom no one has been counting on, suddenly comes through a major sporting event and does well. And in the eyes of this writer, it is even more special when that sporting icon falls into the same age category as the writer himself.
It makes that age category feel young, strong, and able to compete with all these “callow” youths in their “twenties” who are in their sporting primes. Well, at least that is the feeling even for a fleeting moment. When Phil Mickelson won the 103rd USPGA golf championship at Kiawah Island that was the feeling for all people in that age category around the world.
Oldest winner ever
Mickelson who was 50 years old at the time, and who will be turning 51 years of age this month, became the oldest major champion in the history of the game of golf with his victory. Not only that in the end, he did it the Phil Mickelson way as well. He did it with birdies and bogeys and by holing a bunker shot. Amidst a cacophonous scene of joyous, unconfined emotion, he took his brilliant career to another level, tearing up the record books and making us rethink convention. And in the process, he took the “ageism” debate to another plane as well.
This was the 456th major championship stretching all the way back to 1860, and now there is the first winner over the age of 50. It was his sixth major triumph, eight years after his last one at the 2013 Open, and it takes him alongside Sir Nick Faldo on the all-time list of legends. And the fact that he did it by destroying Brooks Koepka, the best major golfer of the last decade made it all the more unbelievable. He might not have set any “teen and young” hearts racing with his approach and demeanour on the golf course but it certainly did not take away from his determination nor could it disguise his steely attitude.
Shadow of Tiger Woods
Two years after Tiger Woods’ incredible 15th major success at the Masters, the man who spent 20 years in his shadow has come up with something every bit as remarkable, another tale that will transcend the sport and put it on front pages as well as the back pages of the newspapers. Here's a sports story to make anyone forget the pandemic. And with Woods recovering from his terrible car accident earlier in the year and a long way off from ever being seen on a golf course again, Mickelson took this opportunity to remind everyone that whilst Woods was certainly the “flag bearer” for the sport during his time, there were plenty of others who were there to help him with that burden as well.
And he did it with plenty of drama also. Mickelson never makes it easy on himself. He is always one stroke away from destruction. And here also he followed the same pattern. One shot ahead at the start of play on the last day, he was one stroke behind after one hole, a bogey to Koepka’s birdie. The natural order of things asserting themselves? Not a bit of it. At the par five second, Koepka ran up a double bogey to Mickelson's birdie. So, the rocky ride began with two stroke swings or more occurring on no fewer than five of the first 10 holes. The highlight undoubtedly came at the par five fifth, and one more exquisite example of the greatest short game of all, as Mickelson's bunker shot fell into the hole. Mickelson had a two shot lead. It was five with six holes to play. Koepka looked gone. Former Open Champion Oosthuizen was leaking fuel. All over? Mickelson ran up back to back bogeys. He never makes it easy on himself or his loved ones. But at least this time he pulled though for a fairy tale ending.
Sister’s admits mother’s agony
But as his sister later admitted it certainly didn’t make it easy watching, least of all for Mickelson’s mother. Tagging her brothers in a tweet, Tina wrote: ‘While you guys were busy on the golf course, I was busy fielding Mom’s “nervous texts”.’ The message from Mickelson’s mother read: ‘Tina, txt Philip and tell him just to par it in. Don’t hit bombs or activate calves. Just par. They will have to catch him. He won't listen to his mother. You txt him. Hurry.’ Tina’s reply said: “I’ll text Tim (his brother and caddy). He’s the only one Phil is listening to today!”
While her message might have been seen as strange by some, it would not have been so to his social media followers. Mickelson has been obsessed by trying to keep up with the game's young, big hitters who boom huge drives, and he regularly documents his progress on Instagram, calling his biggest drives 'bombs'. His work has clearly paid off, as he hit the longest drive seen all week on the par-5 16th hole on Sunday. The ball flew a whopping 366 yards. His muscular calves have also become a social media talking point, with Mickelson regularly showing them off to his followers and offering tips on how to build up and 'activate' lower leg muscles like his.
Conclusion
Well, “bombs” or not, it certainly worked. The joyous scenes at the final hole would have reverberated around the world. Especially for those whose bodies might be getting rather old but whose minds are still young. And this writer certainly falls into that category.