Phil Mickelson spent last week getting skewered at every turn. The LIV Golf star became the subject of attention due to explosive gambling allegations made in an upcoming book. Mickelson also competed in a LIV tournament in Bedminster, New Jersey, attended by former President Donald Trump.
Mickelson didn’t fare so well in the event, though. Lefty finished in 10th place, but the performance was highlighted, or lowlighted, by a brutal quintuple-bogey. The multiple self-induced stroke penalties sent Mickelson’s score up like a rocket. While the fans didn’t rag on him, Phil reflected on the brutal error.
“I had been hitting really good iron shots, and I didn’t even worry about the water,” Mickelson said via Golf Digest. The publication wrote about Mickelson and the tough week that he endured. Phil continued, speaking of the shot, “I just pulled both of them; I don’t know what happened, whether it was setup or something. That was kind of a gut punch because I thought I was playing well and had a chance to make a move, and I thought I could get.” Phil was as candid as he could be given the situation.
Phil Mickelson will likely have better days on the links than he did this weekend. But, for his sake, at least the quintuple-bogey didn’t send him so far down the ladder. A 10th-place finish is nothing to thumb your nose at, even for Phil. So, all in all, it probably could have been worse.