Phil Mickelson’s 58: Part Reminder About His Game, Part Reason to Rile Up Tiger?

To my recollection, in my time at TSB, I hadn’t written anything about golf that didn’t deal with that guy named Eldrick Tont or John Daly, and neither in the context of their on-course performance. (Before this post, to be fair.) That’s no huge surprise: Golf is covered for its stars, and Tiger’s went supernova over the last four months, but little golf that the public cared about transpired.

So it’s a refreshing break that the guy Tiger’s often pitted against may have eclipsed El Tigre in the old-fashioned way: With scintillating play on a golf course.

⇥⇥⇥This is the sort of thing you want to broadcast to the world, an accomplishment that deserves some accolades, a feat that typically comes with some fawning.⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥But Phil Mickelson was surprised anyone wanted to make a big deal out of it, stunned that word got out, then treated the occasion like it was a leisurely round of golf, nothing more.⇥⇥⇥

⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥Some round.⇥⇥⇥

⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥Earlier this week, Mickelson shot 58 at a golf course in Southern California that he decided to play as prep for the Arnold Palmer Invitational.⇥⇥⇥

⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥⇥His round included 12 birdies and an eagle on a 7,042-yard course designed by Fred Couples, with matching 29s on the front and back side.⇥⇥⇥

Now, I don’t buy the humble act for a second -- Mickelson wasn’t tagged with that derisive sobriquet for nothing -- and he knows well that it’s the sort of round that might remind people that he can play a little golf, too. The 58, after all, would only be a PGA TOUR record.This is great for golf in general, especially considering the sport’s profile is subterranean at the moment. That Arnold Palmer Invitational mentioned in the blockquote is being played this weekend; had I not seen this story about a practice round, I wouldn’t have even known that. To go from that to Tiger and Phil dueling at Augusta would be one of the fastest 180s in human history.

But, though this is superb for the sport, I doubt it actually helps Phil. Isn’t this exactly the sort of psych-out message for Tiger that psychs him up instead? We may have forgotten that Tiger Woods, before one of the more salacious scandals of modernity, was a hell of a golfer with legendary focus and drive. I’ll bet Tiger hasn’t.

That 58 is a great, great accomplishment, but it’s utterly meaningless, except as evidence that Phil’s looking good. Unless, that is, it just locked Tiger in -- and sealed Phil’s fate. Then it’s the worst 58 ever.

(HT: Geoff Shackelford.)

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