Thursday, April 29, 2010

Mickelson Improving But Still Feels Badly

As Phil Mickelson was walking toward the first tee Thursday to start the Quail Hollow Championship, he was still feeling bad about Wednesday.

Not about his queasy stomach, which still wasn't feeling all that great on Thursday, but about leaving his pro-am partners to play their last 12 holes with Jonathan Byrd, a sudden fill-in when Mickelson couldn't keep going.

"I've got to make it up to them," Mickelson said before going to the tee.

He'll find a way. It's how Mickelson is. That doesn't mean he'll play 18 holes with the guys he left but he won't forget about them.

After Tiger Woods shot 74 Thursday morning, Mickelson's afternon 2-under par 70 was a bonus for the tournament, which didn't want its two top stars to be fighting to make the cut on Friday. Mickelson responded, playing solid golf despite not being at peak condition.

Mickelson walked slowly around Quail Hollow and began running out of energy late in his round. He got 2 1/2 bags of IV fluids on Wednesday and he felt his energy flag climbing the hill on No. 15.

Of course, the par-3 17th hole got him again. He three-putted for a bogey there. That hole has tormented Mickelson through the years but at least he kept his tee shot out of the water there. Then he bogeyed the 18th hole. It could have been better but he wasn't complaining.

"I'll take it," Mickelson said.

Being sick isn't all bad in Mickelson's case. As he pointed out, the last two times he's gotten sick and fainted at tournaments, he's won. Strangely, it's a good omen, he said.

Maybe that's why he likes his chances this weekend.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Funny thing....99.5% percent of the gallery at quail hollow were white,but the local news interviewed all black people.....the 4 who were the only ones there???????

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 6:52pm: Who cares who was interviewed at the tournament? Take your racist comments elsewhere. Besides this has nothing to do with Phil's ability to play while feeling like crap.

Anonymous said...

Actually,he is spot on with his comment. I was there and saw the same.A pretty fair statement in fact if you asked me.Maybe you are the racist for reading too much into it.

Anonymous said...

all this talk of racism. folks there is not one thing wrong with the black man. i think every person should own 1 or 2.

Anonymous said...

Slavery has been illegal since 1865costing an average of 50,000 - 150,000 each in todays dollars. Only the 1% upper millionaire elite with large plantations afforded them & def not the lower 99% po white trash.