Bones On Phil Hitting It Better Than Ever, Winning Masters Again

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The interview with Amanda Balionis, new Callaway hire talks to Phil Mickelson bagman Jim "Bones" Mackay about all things Phil, the Masters and his veto power over the boss. He also calls this a "really exciting time" for Mickelson because of his man's improved ball striking, saying he will win this event again, if not this week but one of these years.



Video: Phil, Spieth Kick Off Golf's Talk Show Season

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I forgot to mention in my Forward Press column on golf's two cutting-edge talk shows that in addition to landing big "gets", the shows were likely to deliver entertaining fodder that most pre-scripted talk shows fail to produce.

Jordan Spieth's part-one sitdown with Feherty was interesting in ways I hadn't quite expected and the subsequent viewer reviews have been glowing for the season debut. (The show also drew a 325,000 avg. and was the second most-watched Feherty premiere ever). You can get a flavor of the first episode from this page of clips. The talk of Tiger has gone viral-ish because of Spieth's claim that players do not respect Tiger's greatness enough. His comments on underestimating Jason Day will appear in part two next Monday, March 14.

And Phil Mickelson was as engaging as expected on the season two debut of Callaway Live. What I didn't expect was the display of acting chops from Phil in this bit:

Ryan Ruffels Makes Cut In PGA Tour Debut, Phil Doesn't

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What a strange day at Torrey Pines, as Phil Mickelson, fresh off a great opening round on the South, missed the cut following a North Course 76.

Then there was his young (old) pal Ryan Ruffels, who made the cut in his pro debut. Here is my GolfDigest.com report on a player who has been deservedly touted as a future superstar. He's a joy to watch not only because of his talent and good nature, but also due to his speediness.

It wasn't all horrible for Phil, as he added to his list of epic, are-you-kidding-me shots with this one from under a fence. Yes, he made double bogey, but the shot was still brilliant and one only Phil could pull off.

Video: Phil Talks Torrey North And California Politics

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Hearing what Phil Mickelson had to say about the Torrey North project and still struggling with the $12.6 million budget, the ethusiasm is mild at best for the upcoming renovation of this property. On site here the phrase "missed opportunity" has been thrown about a lot (and it's only Wednesday).

Though I think Mickelson mistakenly kept his plans pretty private, the more I hear about them, the more I fear Torrey Pines missed an opportunity to improve.

From Cameron Morfit's golf.com roundup of Mickelson's lively press conference:

"I don't understand the politics of it at all," Mickelson said of the impending redesign of Torrey Pines North, which Mickelson had hoped to direct but which instead will be overseen by Tom Weiskopf. "It makes no sense. I think it's terrible business practices, but it's what we live with here."

Mickelson was one of the first designers to consult with the City of San Diego about Torrey North, perched on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, and had said he would even waive his design fee. But because he was part of the preliminary talks, the California Fair Political Practices Commission forbid Mickelson's design group from submitting a formal bid.

"I'm not bitter about it," Mickelson said. "I just kind of learned to accept that as being one of the sacrifices of living in California. It is a personal place, it is a personal thing for me because of the memories, the history, the nostalgia that I feel every time I walk on the grounds here.

The Art Department has taken the Weiskopf plan, which is simple upgrade of the existing design, and placed it in an aerial for better study. Yes, it doesn't ruin what is a very nice course, but for $12.6 milllion, I'm not sure how many golfers will be thrilled with this or feeling like the character of the Bells was retained. Mickelson's plan was said to have been half the price and included a kids par-3 course:

Todd Lewis and I discussed what went wrong for the North Course project on Golf Central, and Phil's comments cited above can be heard. He offers his best stiff upper lip effort but can only hold on so long...

Ruffled! Phil Won't Be Teeing It Up With Ryan Anytime Soon

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Well, unless the Australian lad making his pro debut at Torrey Pines Thursday is primed for a less-than-friendly game with Phil Mickelson. The same Mickelson who tried to recruit him to his alma mater and teed up at Torrey Pines last month in a friendly game.

Ruffels, you may recall if you followed this obscure little story, claimed to have birdied six of seven holes to take $5000 off of Mickelson, who gave the 17-year-old 2-1 odds. He shared the story, then had to downplay it. But that wasn't enough to appease Phil who spoke to the media on the North Course's 9th green following his pro-am round.

From Ryan Lavner's item at GolfChannel.com: 

“He’s young,” Mickelson said, “and he’s got some things to learn.

“One of them is you don’t discuss certain things. You don’t discuss specifics of what you play for. And you certainly don’t embellish and create a false amount just for your own benefit. So those things right there are – that’s high school stuff, and he’s going to have to stop doing that now that he’s out on the PGA Tour.”

Parents, let this be a learning lesson on the perils of golf course wagering!

Nine Days Of Christmas: Mac Daddy PM Grind

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While longtime readers know how much discussing clubs gets my juices flowing (it's more like a slow leaky faucet drip), I do have a new addition to the bag that is great fun to play around with: Callaway's Mac Daddy PM Grind wedge. In particular, I'd point you to the 60 degree, but only if you have the stomach for a certain era of wedge design.

We're living in a Golden Age of wedge construction and engineering, you can't go wrong with Vokey's, Clevelands, Mizuno's etc... Walk into any store or golf shop and they all look pretty sensational.

But for those of us whose golf skills peaked during the Bush I years, PING made the wedges we adored putting back into our Jones bags. The Eye2 had a thick sole that made bunker shots (almost) a joy. Then they mysteriously abandoned that for a sole and soulless design which did have one positive feature: a huge face.

I'm guessing a combination of those two elements, along with other ideas inspired Roger Cleveland and Phil Mickelson to design this 2015-debuting wedge (you can hear them talk about the clubs here). While all of the Mac Daddy line wedges feel and look great, it's the 60-degree PM grind I'd highly recommend if you're one of those people who misses the old PING's.

Edwin Watts is having a 20% off sale on the SS line (here and here), though only some discounted shipping options right now for other purchases there.

You can view the full lineup here, but this is the one I love. Especially when my drop kick flop shots hit about 2.5 inches up the face and there are still some grooves.

Phil Flew To Vegas To Dump Butch

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The jet fuel is definitely tax deductible and as Tim Rosaforte lays out in this GolfDigest.com item, Phil Mickelson gets bonus points for firing his legendary coach and friend in person.

Rosaforte writes:

This was not going to end bitterly, the way Harmon and Woods ended. Those two have hardly talked since 2002. Mickelson was equally as high road as Harmon, saying the teacher deserved to be told face to face.

"I respect him as a person and as a teacher and as a friend, and just wanted to talk to him in person about it,” Mickelson said. "It’s not something you do over the phone. He’s been good to me long before we ever started working together. That stuff is never easy, but it’s what he deserves.”

Harmon appreciated that. “He did it in a classy way,” he said.

Phil, I have Lifetime Networks on one, should I put them through to voice mail?

Phil Parts With Butch: "I need to hear new ideas"

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The biggest name in the Butch Harmon stable is bolting for a swing instructor to be determined.

Alan Bastable with the exclusive for golf.com, includes Mickelson's statement.

“I’ve learned a great deal from him in our eight years together,” Mickelson said in a statement to Golf.com. “It’s just that at the moment I need to hear new ideas from a different perspective.”

Butch is also putting a positive spin on the firing.

In a statement issued by Mickelson’s camp, Harmon said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Phil and we’ve had great success together. Helping him win the Open Championship in 2013 was one of the pinnacles of my career. I see nothing wrong with him seeking advice from another source. We’re great friends and always will be.”

So, who should Phil go with? Vote!

Which instructor should Phil get "new ideas" from?
 
pollcode.com free polls

Wrap: Mickelson Wrong Ball, Wrong Ruling Antics

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AP's Doug Ferguson leads with the oddity of a veteran like Phil Mickelson encountering a situation he'd never seen (a match adjustment penalty), and one started by his switching to a harder ball in hopes of reaching a par-5 in two.

But with this score adjustment for a rules violation element, reader RM makes a fair point: there is no such thing as dormie if you're two down with one to go! Woohoo!

Anyway, from Ferguson's story:

"I was talking with Jay and I just thought, 'Gosh, I'm going to ask. I'm sure it's not an issue,'" Mickelson said. "And it turns out that there was a one-ball rule and it was an issue. As a player, you need to know that. You need to know the rules, and if you have a question, you do it beforehand."

No one knew the ramifications.

The penalty for violating the one-ball rule is called a one-hole adjustment, meaning the one hole is awarded to the other team.

But the rules committee erred when it told Mickelson that he was out of the hole, and Mickelson picked up his ball. Because the one-hole adjustment already had been assessed, Mickelson should have been able to finish the hole. He was in the fairway just over 290 yards from the hole, which he could have reached with a good shot.

But he never got that chance. Day made birdie and won the hole, so the International team went 2 up heading to the eighth hole.

Steve DiMeglio explains the committee's effort to remedy its error.

Although the Match Committee realized that it incorrectly advised Mickelson, under Decision 34-2/6 of the Rules of Golf, the committee is not allowed to have Mickelson go back and play in an attempt to correct the error. According to a statement released by the committee, "Once any player in the match plays a subsequent stroke allowing a correction could potentially undermine the strategy already employed by both sides in the match in completing the hole."

Here is the committee decision released to the media, tweeted by Ferguson:

Sean Martin covers the other key match moments for Mickelson-Johnson v. Day-Scott, which was halved.

The post round interview with Phil and Zach, along with Todd Lewis's thoughts on Golf Central.

All of this added up to some much needed controversy, as Rex Hoggard notes, but it did not create any new tension between the teams.

Maybe Phil Mickelson's post round comments will: