Will 2019 Be The Summer Of Phil Mickelson?
- Updated: February 18, 2019
Is 2019 the year Phil Mickelson finally tastes the fruits of a U.S. Open win and lets the juices drip down his chin?
What we do know is that the 48-year-old lefty’s got one PGA Tour win in his dress shirt pocket already this season, and his driving statistics (historically the weakest part of his game, or haven’t you heard?) are dramatically improved over years past.
Let’s break down Lefty’s stats
Through last week’s Genesis Open, Mickelson is averaging 301 yards off the tee and 0.215 strokes gained off the tee. Those numbers aren’t eye-popping, but they’re great by Phil’s historical standards:
- 301 yards is highest driving distance average since 2003 (when he averaged 306 yards per drive)
- His strokes-gained figure ranks him 66th on Tour (his last season ranked this high was back in 2014 when he was 64th with 0.201 strokes gained off the tee; by comparison, Mickelson was 154th on Tour last season)
Also, winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (which he did earlier this month for the fifth time) has usually been a sign of good things to come for Mickelson.
In three out of the four seasons following a win at Pebble Beach:
- He’s tallied top-10 finishes in a major — including a win at the PGA Championship in 2005
- He’s racked up multi-win seasons
Short Game Irony?
Considering he’s a magician with a wedge, Mickelson’s short game has been an area that needs improvement.
He’s currently ranked 94th with 0.071 shots gained around the green — but last year was his first season outside the top 40 of that stat since 2006. One assumes that number will improve.
Past results are no indicator of future performance, of course. But Phil is driving the ball well, and he’s already won this year at June’s U.S. Open venue.
RELATED: Phil Mickelson Says He’s Done Wasting Time Playing Courses With ‘Brutal Rough’
Maybe we should congratulate him now on his record 7th runner-up finish … or maybe this could be the year he finally breaks through.
If he can bring his wedge-play back to the level he’s shown most of his career, then there might be a lot more Mizzen+Main flash sales in all our futures.
About the author: Will Bardwell is a lawyer by day and moonlights as a contributor for Two Inches Short. He enjoys wide fairways, playing from the white tees, and accidentally hitting approach shots thin when he didn’t realize he under-clubbed. Follow him on Twitter at @willbardwell.
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