Oh Phil, you just had me! After years of banging on Phil Mickelson, professional golfer, gamblin man, super talent, he had me. He had won three of the last ten professional golf majors and looked to be on top of the world. Last Saturday he went into Sunday at the US Open Golf Tournament tied for the lead. He then played a non-descript round of golf - only hitting 2 fairways all day before he came to the 16th hole with a two shot lead in the golf tournament. Phil went on to bogey the 16th, par the 17th and there he stood on the 18th tee - poised to take his 4th major title in the last 11. Then - Phil hit his drive in the rough. He came to a crossroads - play safe and try and make par - all but eliminating a double bogey - or try and play the hero shot (a mark of his earlier career) - and risk making worse than a bogey. Par won him the golf tournament, bogey put him in a playoff the next day - double, well he was done.
So, Phil lines up his second shot, and hits a tree. He then lines up his third shot and hits it in the bunker in an impossible lie. He hits his fourth shot into the rough - His fifth shot is on the green, but does not go in. He makes his sixth shot for double bogey - losing the golf tournament. Phil, who by his own account called himself, “a big idiot.” I feel for Phil - he is an amazing talent, but a gamlbing man… He will win again, but taught us all a lesson yesterday - you can only gamble so many times before it catches up to you. It did for Phil, it was too bad it was on the 72nd hole. JVD
