If this was Phil Mickelson’s remaining U.S. Open, right here’s what goodbye appeared like

OAKMONT, Pa. — He dropped his head perhaps an inch, smiled, then pinched collectively his thumb and index finger and raised them towards his brow. His first and final names had simply been introduced from a microphone, and now he was performing a little bit of choreography that was as synonymous along with his model as his southpaw swing. 

A Phil Mickelson hat tip, in all its tacky glory. 

“Is that Phil?” a spectator requested each rhetorically and fanatically. 

“There’s Phil,” one other fan shouted. 

Some issues by no means change. However nothing lasts ceaselessly. There Mickelson was final week, too, at LIV Golf’s Virginia occasion, the place he was requested whether or not he’d considered what was at stake this week, on the U.S. Open at Oakmont Nation Membership. 4 years in the past, and days in need of his 51st birthday, he’d received the PGA Championship, incomes him 5 extra invitations to the one main he maddeningly hadn’t claimed amongst his six.

However in 2026, he’ll run dry. 

Was this it then?

“I haven’t considered it an excessive amount of,” Mickelson mentioned, earlier than including, “There’s a excessive chance that it is going to be.”

That matter largely hinges on whether or not Mickelson, who has had a contentious relationship with the USA Golf Affiliation, will likely be prolonged invitations. On Wednesday, John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s chief championships officer, mentioned neither sure nor no, which means we had been left to ponder whether or not this week was a goodbye or the goodbye? Arnold Palmer acquired a correct nationwide championship sendoff at Oakmont, however with Mickelson issues are extra sophisticated. His transfer to LIV Golf has made him deeply polarizing; he believes he’s rising the sport, whereas others level to division and Saudi cash.

However you at all times get the hat tip. Or a thumbs-up. Generally one proper after the opposite. The salutes allow you to in. A superman for each man, lady and baby. Friday right here, within the wake of his opening four-over 74, it appeared maybe this story can be composed Sunday night time. On the par-5 4th, Mickelson stuffed a wedge to fifteen inches. On the par-4 eleventh, after bogeys on 7 and eight, he rolled in a 14-footer. However no shot was extra classic Phil than his third on 15, which adopted a cool fairway steel from the tough (in fact) and a request to a close-by LIV Golf cameraman to cease transferring (in fact). He finessed a wedge to about 100 toes in need of its goal, then watched his ball trickle to 12 toes. At that time, Mickelson was 4 over for the event, three throughout the cutline.   

For each thumbs-up with Mickelson, there’s additionally a thumb to the attention, although. We play golf for its casino-like tease — you’ve received a wager earlier than, so you need to win once more, and Mickelson at all times appears to hit on 20. However dance with the satan lengthy sufficient and also you go straight to golf hell. With Mickelson, you want look no additional than the U.S. Open for examples.

There was 2006, at Winged Foot, and the tee shot off the hospitality tent, and a 72nd-hole double bogey that worn out a one-shot lead. There was 2004 at Shinnecock — web site of subsequent 12 months’s Open — the place Mickelson was your chief after 70 holes earlier than he double-bogeyed the 71st. There was 2009 at Bethpage Black — dwelling of this 12 months’s Ryder Cup —  the place he was your co-leader with 5 holes to play earlier than he bogeyed the fifteenth and seventeenth holes. There was 2013 at Merion, the place he performed within the remaining pairing earlier than run of back-nine bogeys doomed him. There was 1999 at Pinehurst No. 2, the place Payne Stewart rammed in a putt so memorable a statue was erected, and Mickelson completed second by a shot. In all, Mickelson has completed runner-up an virtually unfathomable six instances. 

On 15 on Friday, after his elegant wedge, Mickelson missed his par putt. 

On 15 on Friday, he missed his bogey putt. 

Six over. 

No sequence was extra classic Mickelson than what went down on 17, a 305-yard par-4 the place you go small, hope for a 3, however take a 4 and transfer on — or throw warning and your iron to the wind. It’s a risk-reward gap, and Mickelson doubled down — and busted. He dropped his tee shot into the downslope of a entrance bunker, fluffed his second shot into the sand, hit out, then three-putted from 35 toes. Why the massive tee shot? Why attempt to be tough with that second shot? At all times why. 

Eight over.   

He wanted birdie on 18. 

After a drive down the precise and an iron to 10 toes, he had an opportunity. A very good one. As he waited on the inexperienced, thunder sounded and enjoying associate Brian Harman requested, “Do y’all really feel secure?” Mickelson mentioned he did, and putts had been struck. 

Mickelson’s slid to the precise. 

About 500 or folks, amid rain drops, cheered. He acknowledged them. He went to scoring and exited final. An meeting of reporters waited for a quote — what would he say; what might he say? — however he declined. He walked into participant hospitality and his caddie, Jon Yarbrough, carried his bag to Mickelson’s grey courtesy Lexus. There, his group waited. About 10 minutes later, Mickelson walked up, between two officers who might double as stand-ins for the Rock. The rain was pouring now. Mickelson known as out for golf balls. None had been discovered. 

He dug out some gloves as an alternative. He handed them to the officers, shook their palms and thanked them. 

Saluting till the tip.

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