A career grand slam is a rare accomplishment which only a select few have achieved. At 2014 U.S. Open this weekend, Phil Mickelson will try to join the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Gene Sarazen as the only five golfers in the Masters Era to have achieved the magnificent feat.
We’ve already broken down the chances that favorite Rory McIlroy will win the U.S. Open, but you can never count out the tournament’s perennial also-ran?
Read on for our take on five keys to Lefty’s performance at Pinehurst Number 2 this weekend and create a betting account now to get into the mix on a weekend filled with the NBA Finals, the 2014 World Cup and the toughest tournament in golf.
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Can Phil Mickelson Win the U.S. Open for Golf?
At 44, Mickelson might not be the prime-time golfer he once was. Still, he is far from finished with contending major championships. Let’s look at five keys to Lefty at the U.S. Open.
Up-and-Down 2014
Mickelson’s 2014 campaign can be summed up by a roller coaster ride thus far. He missed the cut in three tournaments, the first Major of the year in Augusta being the biggest blow of the three. The Wells Fargo Championship and the Memorial Tournament are prime examples of his rocky year.
At the Wells Fargo Championship, Mickelson’s play exemplified how his year has gone thus far. He set a tournament record with a front-nine 29 on day 3 to qualify for the final round. However, on day 4 he was plagued by putting woes that had him ending with a score of 76 for a share of 11th place.
His Memorial Tournament experience was even more astounding. Mickelson was off to a good start, just a couple of shots off the lead. And then things started to come apart at the seams. He hit the ball into the water and made a bogey to go four under par before falling off the leaderboard altogether after consecutive double-bogeys. In the end, he was tied for 45th. Second to 45th is a long drop, but Lefty found a way to do it.
Horrible Putting
Mickelson’s horrid putting from short range has hurt him all season. He took a nosedive to 106th in the PGA Tour strokes-gained-putting stat, after being ranked 12th last year. Mickelson’s struggles with the flat iron will loom large on Pinehurst No. 2’s challenging greens.
To combat this issue, Mickelson will try his luck with a claw putting grip—keeping the right hand low while pinching the staff. The grip allows for a smoother stroke at the ball. It especially helps with Mickelson’s biggest challenge: short putts. This adjustment may be just what Lefty needs to capture the elusive U.S. Open Championship.
Championship Experience
[sc:Golf240banner ]Mickelson knows how to win. He has won three Masters Tournaments, the PGA Championship, and last July added a spectacular win at Murfield to check off British Open. The U.S. Open is the only Major to have eluded him so far. That’s just the Majors, though. Lefty also owns 34 wins in other PGA Tour tournaments, two FedEx Cup Events, and two World Golf Championships.
Coming into the 2014 U.S. Open, Mickelson will be bringing with him a wealth of experiences. Not many can boast being so close to a career grand slam. It will surely help him get past some tight spots that he’s encountered before.
Record-setting Second Place Finishes in the U.S. Open
Being a record-setting six-time runner-up is frustrating. Such is the story of Mickelson when it comes to the U.S. Open.
The circumstances surrounding Mickelson’s very first second place finish might still be the most dramatic of the bunch. In 1999, Mickelson was the runner-up to the late Payne Stewart. Right after winning the championship, Stewart told Mickelson that the latter would find success in future U.S. Opens. Just a few hours after, Mickelson’s first daughter was born. Four months later, Stewart died when his private plane crashed.
Stewart’s death and the birth of Phil’s first daughter Angela after the 1999 U.S. Open aren’t the only driving forces in Mickelson’s current bid for the elusive championship. The 1999 tournament happened to be on the same course as this year’s: Pinehurst No. 2. If those overlapping storylines aren’t enough to motivate Mickelson to win the U.S. Open this year, his five other runner-up finishes in the last 15 wouldn’t hurt either.
Defying Circumstances
After all is said and done, Mickelson is a player that should never be counted out. He tends to do well when it’s least expected as he did at Muirfield. On the way to a respectable finish, nobody believed that Mickelson still had a chance at winning the tournament. He proved them wrong in the last stretch, in which he displayed some superb putting while capturing his first British Open Championship and fifth Major overall.
Now he finds himself in a familiar situation. Given his performance this season, not many believe that Mickelson will finally complete his career grand slam, yet he remains unfazed.
Mickelson will change strategy mid tournament if he has to. He’ll switch putters again if he has to. Just don’t be surprised to see him at the top of the U.S. Open once again. Whether it’s is a record-breaking seventh runner-up spot, or finally completing a grand slam, the result remains to be seen. At +1,400, Mickelson is worth a look at Pinehurst No. 2, because he always is.
