Mickelson not playing at Torrey Pines because it is too long??

[Jeff Schley]

I don't buy it for a minute.

Article has only one quote from him, saying the course is no longer "a good place for me."  He said Thursday that he was not sure his game was ready for one of the longest courses on tour. Also seems to take a swipe at Rees Jones hinting he doesn't like the 2001 changes.
http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/25796942/phil-mickelson-skip-hometown-torrey-pines-event-next-week

[Gary Sato]

Phil has never liked the architecture of Rees. Also Phil was screwed on the renovation of the North on a technicality.


Wonder of the wet weather and rough has something to do with it?

[Kalen Braley]

He may have a point.

While he's #16 in Distance off the tee this year, he's also 297th in accuracy.  As I recall TPs fairways are more narrow than most so that at least seems plausible. He's only hitting 40% of his fairways...

[BHoover]

It’s a convenient excuse, but if he played this tournament, it would be 6 events in a row. He wasn’t going to do that.

[Jaeger Kovich]

I didn’t read his quotes, but I’d still be holding a grudge at the powers to be around Torrey for picking Weiskopf over me too. No way I’d go if I wasn’t obligated. Would be very distracted actually trying to win let alone the other feelings he probably shouldn’t express publicly.

[Scott Warren]

It’s a convenient excuse, but if he played this tournament, it would be 6 events in a row. He wasn’t going to do that.

Can't see how the six-in-a-row works -- he's announced his schedule up to & including WGC Mexico and it doesn't include Riviera.


Played the Safeway
six weeks off
played The Match
eight weeks off
played the Desert this week
week off (Farmers)
will play Phoenix and Pebble back-to-back
week off (Riviera)
then WGC Mexico


That's five tournaments and The Match in 20 weeks.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Grudge ( he lost the gig on a technicality as he did the Master Plan but by City regs he couldn't get the job) or not, there are " horses for courses." Phil probably realized that given the narrow fairways at TP and his accuracy problems he could stay home for week nearby in Rancho Santa Fe. .

[Greg Chambers]

Who really cares when and where Phil plays again?  The guy hasn’t been relevant for some time, and really, is at this stage in his career, a has been.  I’m sure he’ll get lots of press if he (ever) contends again in a major...but outside of that...nobody cares.

[AChao]

It actually makes some sense that he's not playing ... I was researching his past performance at the Farmers and he's missed the cut in 4 of his last 7 starts.  Very surprisingly considering he's long, but I suspect his driving accuracy is a problem and the fact that he doesn't have as much of an advantage on the greens as he did before the renovations of years past. 

[Scott Warren]

Who really cares when and where Phil plays again?  The guy hasn’t been relevant for some time, and really, is at this stage in his career, a has been.

A has-been who was a lipped putt from a playoff in this week's PGA TOUR event, has won a WGC inside the past year and is ranked 26th in the world...


It's smart at his age to maximise starts to the places where he can best contend, and as detailed above, that ain't Torrey Pines.

[ChipRoyce]

Let's not forget his health and dealing with the arthritis caused by Plaque Psoriasis. He seems to have put on a bit of weight lately - played well this weekend, but can't say he looked good.
When he and Bones separated, my theory was that he would be playing a reduced schedule due to health, and offered Bones the opportunity to find his next bag or career move.

[WilliamN]

A bit OT, but did people notice how far Phil was hitting the driver?  For a 48 year old, he was swinging out of his shoes and just putting the ball way out there, seemingly out-driving his younger playing partners by 20+ yards every hole

[A.G._Crockett]

I won't pass judgement on anything about this, and I get anybody feeling like a given course might be too long as the years go by.  But...

Isn't Torrey the place where Mickelson played the first round (or two?) without a driver on what was, at that time, the longest US Open course ever?  Must have been 2008 when Woods beat Rocco.

If that's correct, the juxtaposition of those two decisions is pure Phil Mickelson at his finest.

[Kalen Braley]

Like him or hate him or whatever....

But you can't dispute the fact that he's top 10 all time for both Majors won and PGA events won. I'll take him at his word for deciding which events to enter, I'm pretty sure he's earned that one.

[Matthew Petersen]

I think it was at the Safeway, right after the Ryder Cup debacle, that he pretty bluntly said he's not interested in playing courses that don't suit his game (he didn't says it but part of the implication was places like Le Golf National, for sure).


No doubt he'll still tee it up for US Opens, but otherwise, long courses with narrows fairways and thick rough? You won't be seeing Phil. At his age he should be setting his schedule simply to maximize his chances to squeeze out wins, nothing else really matters.

[AChao]

Jeff … I think your not buying it is correct, but I think the larger reason isn't length.  It's accuracy.  I played in the pro-am on Wednesday before the tournament.  Most of the fairways were 20-25 yards wide.  I hit about 9 of the fairways, and most of the time, I was the only amateur to hit the fairway.  Phil hits it a tremendously long way still (especially for his age), but he's still somewhat crooked.  I'm guessing playing out of the rough most of the time didn't interest him (nor did teeing-off with 3-irons).     

I don't buy it for a minute.

Article has only one quote from him, saying the course is no longer "a good place for me."  He said Thursday that he was not sure his game was ready for one of the longest courses on tour. Also seems to take a swipe at Rees Jones hinting he doesn't like the 2001 changes.
http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/25796942/phil-mickelson-skip-hometown-torrey-pines-event-next-week