Career grand slam tantalises Phil Mickelson

IT is one of golf’s mysteries why Phil Mickelson has not yet won his ­national championship.

Phil Mickelson hits a tee shot during a practice round prior to the start of the 114th US Open at Pinehurst.

FIFTEEN years ago, on the last hole of a gruelling US Open here at Pinehurst No 2, the late Payne Stewart embraced the young man he’d just vanquished, Phil Mickelson, and told him his time would come.

But it hasn’t.

It is one of golf’s mysteries why Mickelson has not yet won his ­national championship.

Certainly, he’s had his chances, including last year at Merion, where he led going into the final round only to succumb to Justin Rose.

All Mickelson has to show for his endeavour is a record six runner-up US Open finishes.

Perhaps he’s golf’s Ian Mac­Kellen or Glenn Close or Peter O’Toole, none of whom ever won an Oscar? (If not Peter O’Toole, we can ask, then whom?)

Certainly, many of Mickelson’s wounds at US Opens have been self-inflicted — the double bogey on the final hole at Winged Foot that allowed Geoff Ogilvy to win his lone major, for example — but maybe there’s something else at play, too.

Perhaps he’s too much like Pete Sampras at Roland Garros, unable — or unwilling — to turn off the power and imagination and just do the drab, mundane thing.

Sampras wanted to boss the point, like he did on grass and hardcourts. But the slow clay wouldn’t let him. Yet he never bowed.

And neither can Mickelson’s mind be sustained by hitting the fairway, hitting the green, taking two putts and moving on.

The US Open demands the care and precision of a forensic ­accountant, not the panache and romanticism of the riverboat gambler. It’s a science; it doesn’t reward creativity and imagination like the Masters or, in a different way, the British Open.

Indeed, it punishes such traits.

And yet, Mickelson’s been coming to these for 24 years forever the artist.

Uncompromising, unapologetic and, also, of course, without a victory.

It’s significant, of course, that the first of those heartbreaks came here, to Stewart. The story of that week was that Mickelson’s wife, Amy, was pregnant with their first child and that he’d vowed to leave the tournament if she went into labour.

“Now my daughter who is going to be 15 and we just started teaching her to drive and it’s just amazing how much time has gone by,” Mickelson said yesterday.

“I don’t feel that old. I guess I look it, but I don’t feel it.”

And that’s another factor: he will be 44 on Monday and since his historic triumph at last year’s British Open has precisely one top-10 finish on the PGA Tour.

He’s so befuddled on the greens that he’s going to switch to the claw grip this week in an ­attempt to negotiate the exacting turtlebacks designed by Donald Ross.

Forever the optimist, Mickelson sees Pinehurst No 2 — restored to its original glory (however shabby to the eye) — as his best chance to become the sixth golfer to win the career Grand Slam.

“I feel like the five players that have done that have separated themselves from the other players throughout all time,” he said of Sarazen, Hogan, Player, Nicklaus and Woods. “If I’m able to do that, I feel that I would look upon my own career differently. That’s why it would mean so much, in addition to the fact it’s our national championship.

“Growing up here in the United States, this is a tournament that I’ve always felt this patriotism to and would love to win, plus with all the close calls ... it would really mean a lot to me.”

But then Mickelson caught himself.

“The flip side is that I tend to do well when it’s least expected,” he said.

“I’m going to be upfront with the fact that that’s a goal of mine. I’m upfront with the fact that I would love to do it here at Pinehurst. But I’m not going to put that pressure on me and say that this is the only week or only opportunity.

“It’s probably the best opportunity, because the golf course is so short-game oriented, because greens are so repellent, and the shots around the greens play a premium amongst all the Open venues that we have had. But I don’t want to put the pressure on that this is the only week that I’ll have a chance.

“But this is certainly as good a chance as I’ll have.”

Perhaps.

But there are others, too, who will be looking to make their mark in the post-Tiger era.

Bubba Watson, the Masters champion, hasn’t traditionally fared well at US Opens but Pinehurst is different because there is no rough to speak of. He can be erratic off the tee and let the sublime touch he showed at Augusta National be his guide.

Rory McIlroy, fresh off his breakup with Caroline Wozniacki, is the bookmaker’s favourite and for good reason. He’s rounding nicely into form.

Of the Australians, Adam Scott has the ball-striking capabilities to do well here but the truth is the champion will be the man who best negotiates the upside-down saucer greens.

When Michael Campbell won here in 2005, he needed only 105 putts. Tiger Woods finished second by two shots, yet had 13 more putts.

Jason Day’s short game is ­underrated, and despite his rust may well represent the best chance of the 11 Australians in the field. The Queenslander has two runner-up finishes at three previous US Opens.

“I’m not too sure what the ­winning score will be, but it’s premium on second shots,” he said yesterday.