Fascination with Mickelson grows

It was no surprise this week when Phil Mickelson announced that he has entrusted his swing to instructor Butch Harmon, confirming what had been suspected for a while, especially since the two have been spotted together on a couple of practice ranges this year.

Is it a direct fallout of what happened to Mickelson in the U.S. Open last year?

That had to be part of Mickelson’s reasoning, given his difficulty in corraling his often wayward driver. Harmon said this week he will focus on making Mickelson more accurate off the tee and it’s the logical next step.

Even in today’s bomb and gouge world, accuracy off the tee is still critical. Hit it crooked often enough and pretty soon you’re going to hit it in spots you can’t get out of.

Mickelson knows that.

Did Mickelson do the right thing telling his friend Rick Smith he wanted to use another set of eyes on his game?

Time will tell. There is no better teacher in the game than Harmon. That doesn’t mean Smith isn’t good enough, it just means that Harmon’s record with Greg Norman, Tiger Woods and others justifies Mickelson’s curiosity in working with him.

In comments to The Golf Channel this week, Harmon made a point of saying that Mickelson will not be his No. 1 pupil. That designation still belongs to Adam Scott, though Mickelson isn’t likely to have to wait in line very often.

Harmon also said changes in Mickelson’s swing will be evident this week when he plays at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. They’ll be on display up-close here at the Wachovia Championship next week.

There’s always been a fascination with watching Mickelson play golf. Now more than ever.