A Master-Phil Performance

Enough has been written about Tiger Woods in the last six months to fill a fairway, but the storybook ending to this weekend’s Masters belonged to a perennial “runner up” to Woods’ previously shining star.

Phil Mickelson earned his third green jacket, joining only 7 other golfers who have won the Masters at least 3 times. Tiger is in that club, as are Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.

Despite the hoopla over Tiger’s return to the game, it was the underlying story of Phil Mickelson, whose performance was largely overlooked until the last few holes that really stole the show. Perhaps that’s the way Phil wanted it.

Either way, the contrasts were palpable.

Phil, who left the tour last year to be with his wife Amy, currently fighting breast cancer—has supplanted Woods as the “role model” of the game. At her insistence, Phil returned to major tournament play, but failed in 2009 to win a trophy for his wife’s hospital room.

Here is a crude, bootleg video of Phil’s final putt on Sunday:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKwJpe0uAuU


All that ended Sunday—as Amy and the children were there to greet Phil at the 72nd hole and celebrate the win. As for Tiger, despite his incredibly strong start after months away from the game—and presumably from practice—he faded down the stretch. His wife Elin and children were nowhere to be found. Had he won, the only person he would have had to hug was his caddy, Steve Williams.

I won’t pile on to the Tiger-bashing bandwagon. It is none of my business—and none of yours either. Nevertheless, his punishment of public humiliation has cost him far more than the endorsement contracts he has lost. There is no amount of money he WOULDN’T give to have not gone through this episode in his life. Not to forgive him for what appears to be dozens if not hundreds of “transgressions”, he is getting what he deserves (don’t we all eventually?).

What amazes me is the attention paid to his return to golf. Clearly the ratings magnet for the sport, the Masters committee at Augusta National was no doubt delighted at his decision to play—and equally overjoyed that he did not win. The dressing down he received from the chairman before the tournament was both unnecessary and disgraceful.

No one has to root for Tiger. No one has to embrace him now, as Elin and the children have been the true victims in this scenario. In other venues, he will be the object of taunts and catcalls—and maybe he’ll just need to endure them as his penance and see if he can play through it all.

It was on this date in 1997---13 years ago—that Tiger won his first Masters—and his first major tournament, by a record 12 strokes. As the first African/Asian American to win the tournament at a course where blacks were not welcome to join, it was a milestone not to be understated. Fast forward to 2010 and we no longer debate whether Tiger or Jack is the best of all time. With 14 majors, just 4 shy of Nicklaus’ record, it seems that not only will Woods surpass that, but also Sam Snead’s record of 82 overall wins (Tiger is already over 60, I believe)

For the first time in I don’t know how many years, I didn’t get to watch any of the Masters either Saturday or Sunday. From what I heard, though, the TV talk was all about Tiger. My ESPN cellphone texts were all about how Tiger was doing, despite the fact that he was played his way OUT of a championship and Phil Mickelson was playing his way INTO one.

The golf world knows which side their bread is buttered on. Tiger is not who we thought he was. However, word among the pros is that Phil’s easygoing, “aw shucks” demeanor for the public and press to devour is NOT what they see in the clubhouse.

Whatever.

They are human beings, all of them. Flawed, just like we are. They just happen to be able to hit a golf ball MUCH better than we mere mortals. In all other respects, they may not be as smart as the rest of us—and certainly not divine as we have witnessed.

Perhaps this will begin the start of a TRUE rivalry…one that was only hinted at when Tiger first burst upon the scene. Mickelson versus Woods has been pretty one-sided up until now. However, as both begin new and challenging phases in their lives (for strikingly different reasons), we may see the kind of rivalry that compares to Palmer and Nicklaus…..or even Nicklaus and Watson.

I can’t wait!

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