| This week has been a homecoming of sorts for Phil Mickelson.
The three-time Majors winner on the PGA tour gets to fulfill a life-long dream of playing in the United States Open in his hometown of San Diego.
Growing up in San Diego, Mickelson holds fond memories of playing golf with his father, specifically at Balboa Park, which is located on the opposite end of San Diego down Interstate 5.
He often dreamed of the U.S. Open coming to Torrey Pines, a track Mickelson knows all too well, having played the course that is the home of the Buick Open.
Torrey Pines, only the second publicly owned and operated course to host the U.S. Open, had to be redesigned to meet Open standards, and will be the longest (7,634 yards, par 71) in Open history.
During Tuesday's press conference, Mickelson talked with a calm exuberance for playing in the Open. It's as if playing in his own back yard has soothed the pains of past indiscretions.
For it has been only two years since his meltdown on the 72nd hole at the 2006 Open at Winged Foot.
Mickelson double-bogeyed the final hole - needing a par to win his third straight major championship - to gift-wrap the title for Geoff Ogilvy.
Although Lefty insisted the loss did not faze him, his game suffered. Obviously, he was not the same confident golfer who finally broke through to win a Major - the 2004 Masters.
But he appears to have turned things around in 2008, with two wins and five top-10 finishes, and brims with confidence.
Playing on your home track will do that for you.
Still, Mickelson put on his best game face in front of reporters, insisting he was looking forward to playing close to home.
“This is a tournament I know and believe I can win,” said Lefty. “I think that this golf course gives me the best opportunity available to do that.
“I enjoy the challenge of trying to win an Open. And having that opportunity in San Diego is exciting.”
Mickelson teed off Thursday morning alongside Tiger Woods and Adam Scott, both still nursing sore bodies - Woods coming off knee surgery and Scott with a broken pinky finger.
He welcomes the challenge of playing with the best, and knows he will share the title as crowd favorite with Tiger.
“I'm excited to play in front of my hometown and be able to have so many family and friends come out and follow and be together and enjoy the week together,” said Mickelson. “But I also know that Tiger is very well-loved here. And I know that it's going to be very mixed. It should make for a very interesting week.”
And if all goes according to plan, Lefty will leave his San Diego home as the 108th U.S. Open champion.
Gary Martin can be reached by email at gmartin@fbherald.com.
|
