The Mickelson Argument Continues On TGC

[Tim Pitner]

Ryan...Bones made the argument that Phil hits 4 wood about 240 yards, and with the wind he would have been lucky to hit it 220 on 18...

I played yesterday with a scrawny little guy, a scratch golfer, and he hit 5 wood off a tee twice in excess of 250 yards....

I find Bone's claim of no length off the tee hard to swallow.

I too found the 240 yard claim with a 4 wood to be unbelievable.  But, I think I have this figured out.  I now assume that Bones was saying that Phil's carry distance for the 4 wood is 240 and that's where he would end up if he hit it in the rough.  Apparently, Phil and his caddie did not believe he could hit the fairway even with his 4 wood so they rolled the dice with the driver.  

[JR Potts]

Ryan -- Phil didn't have 3-wood, only 4-wood.  Were his chances much greater to find fairway with that club?  Remember he missed fairway a few holes earlier with 4-iron.  He probably felt as comfortable with driver as he did the 4-wood.  And if he misses with the 4-wood, not only is he in the rough or trees, he is 30 to 50 yards back.  

Phil could bomb his 4-wood past Toms' 3-wood any day of the week.

[JESII]

For referrence sake, the 4-iron's Phil hit "into the rough" on #'s 11 and 15 went 260 and 250 respectively. Both landed just left of center on fairways that slope pretty good right to left and both ran into the first cut of rough. #18 is probably not as much downhill as either #11 or #15, but it is slightly. And the fairway is much less deflective (if that is a word).  

[James Bennett]

I stumbled across this from Dunlop White's Feature Interview.  Prophetic words indeed.  I assume that the tree-work at Winged Foot West 'encouraged' Phil's reponse, whereas a tree-lined fairway would have given Phil one and only one option.

The prophetic words from Dunlop White.  I don't know the year.

"Simply tempting golfers with both conservative and aggressive recovery shot options will often lead to higher scores. For instance, do you remember when Phil Mickelson's errant tee shot found the woods on Hole 16 at the Bay Hill Invitational? After careful deliberation, Mickelson selected a more challenging route of recovery only to have his problems multiply. Many ambitious golfers, like Mickelson, too often compound their mistakes by choosing the more perilous route of recovery. But for tree management in this area, Mickelson would have been forced to pitch out of the vegetation, and conceivably his score on the hole would have been much lower too."

James B

[Brian Joines]

Ogilvy won because he demonstrated the greatest competence in all aspects of the game -- especially the mental component. Kudos to the USGA for yearly creating an event that is the truest assessment of golf masterliness, and rewards not only solid execution but also levelheaded thinking. For those of you who gripe that the US Open setup removes the decision-making component of golf go rewind your recording of the last 30 minutes of this championship.

I also have to second this opinion.

[Jim Nugent]

Phil could bomb his 4-wood past Toms' 3-wood any day of the week.

The idea being that if Toms can hit 3-wood and 5-iron, Phil could hit 4-wood and something less.  

Then why did Monty have 6-iron after hitting driver off the tee?  My memory is that the announcers said Monty hit a perfect tee shot.    

And if Phil felt as confident hitting driver as 4-wood, why would he give up 30 to 50 yards, when he felt he had no better chance of finding the fairway?  

Matt's friend is the first person I've heard who actually was there.  He said the shot was hard, not impossible.  The slice being Phil's bread and butter shot makes it more attractive.  

Maybe I'm as brain-dead as Phil, but it doesn't seem like such a crazy choice to me.  

[Glenn Spencer]

For referrence sake, the 4-iron's Phil hit "into the rough" on #'s 11 and 15 went 260 and 250 respectively. Both landed just left of center on fairways that slope pretty good right to left and both ran into the first cut of rough. #18 is probably not as much downhill as either #11 or #15, but it is slightly. And the fairway is much less deflective (if that is a word).  

You are absolutely correct. One could argue that PM made his best swings of the day with those clubs in his hand, they were clearly earmarked for the fairway and just bounced into the semi- rough. 18 seems way more receptive to a ball than those holes did. Mickelson's choice on 18 to hit driver, to me anyway, is the difference between a once in a generation player (i.e. Norman) and a once in a generation champion (i.e. Faldo and Woods). Great players go on runs at Augusta like Norman and either win or don't win. Great champions never give one up. At least not at the age of 36 after they have already one 3 of them.

[JESII]

It was the clearest evidence I have seen yet of the FLOGGING mentality in these top tier players.

[Glenn Spencer]

It was the clearest evidence I have seen yet of the FLOGGING mentality in these top tier players.

Another good way of putting it.