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Phil Mickelson to miss the U.S. Open to attend daughter’s graduation
If you’re mulling over your U.S. Open punts, remove Phil Mickelson from your consideration. Lefty announced he doesn’t plan on teeing it up at Erin Hills. The reason? His daughter Amanda is graduating from high school—and she’s giving the commencement address.
The Pacific Ridge School’s commencement ceremony is scheduled for the morning of June 15, which is during the first round of the U.S. Open.
He’s yet to withdraw officially, but as Mickelson said, “barring something unforeseen, I won’t be there.” “Something unforeseen,” would be a situation like a washed out first round with the opening round of play beginning on Friday—a remote possibility indeed.
“I wanted to make sure they [the USGA] had enough notice to accommodate it…So that’s why I’m saying something today, but it doesn’t look good for me playing. But I’m really excited about this moment in our family’s life,” Mickelson told reporters.
Mickelson hasn’t missed a major championship since the 2009 Open Championship when his wife was battling cancer. He’ll turn 47 during the tournament at Erin Hills, his long, unfortunate history of runner-up finishes at the U.S. Open is well documented.
Still, even with Father Time starting at Mickelson through the rearview, he seems comfortable with his decision to skip the championship.
Regarding the graduation, Mickelson said: It’s one of those things you just show up. You just need to be there. It wasn’t really something that we discussed, because it really wasn’t much of a decision.”
Like his history of near-misses at the USGA’s major, Mickelson’s series of scheduling conflicts during the tournament is part of “Lefty the family man” lore. He wore a beeper at Pinehurst in 1999, as his wife was on the verge of giving birth. At the 2012 U.S. Open, Mickelson flew home for Amanda’s eighth-grade graduation, catching a flight back just in time for the opening round.
And speaking of Amy, here’s what she told Karen Crouse about her husband’s decision. “Phil desperately wants to win the U.S. Open. “I would have totally understood if he needed to play…We could have done a video or this or that.”
A “video or this or that” isn’t something Phil Mickelson, the father, is comfortable with. Even the left-handers detractors have to respect that.
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5 Things We Learned: Friday at the Masters
You don’t see leaves on the ground at Augusta National. The grounds crew and superintendent’s staff take care of those sorts of things, so that both course appearance and consistency of play are preserved at the top tier. We saw leaves on the ground today and, given the force and perseverance of the wind, we’re lucky that we didn’t see tree trunks along the fairways. We did see higher scores than secured in round one, and some of the three- and four-hole stretches were downright inconceivable. The cut after 36 holes came at six over par, and five dozen golfers reached the weekend of play. Numbers always define the story of a tournament, and we’ll let them define the five things we learned on day two of the 2024 Masters tournament.
One: 60 + 10
Sixty golfers posted scores of 148 or better through 36 holes, to reach weekend play. Ten more golfers posted 149 and missed the cut by a single stroke. The ones who missed the cut by a stroke included former champions Mike Weir, Zach Johnson, and Sergio Garcia. Also among the brood were current US Open champion Wyndham Clark, and Nick Dunlap, who won on the PGA Tour as an amateur in January, and subsequently turned professional. Of the ones who survived by the slimmest of margins, surviving to the weekend were former champions Jose Maria Olazabal, Hideki Matsuyama, and Adam Scott, along with Rickie Fowler and Tom Kim. Golf’s cut is a cruel and unconcerned blade, and each Masters tournament reminds us of this fact.
Tom Kim makes just the third birdie of the day on hole No. 4. #themasters pic.twitter.com/gtlLbVcQi6
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2024
Two: One
The number of amateurs to make the cut in the 2024 Masters is solitary. His name is Neil Shipley, and most folks love him. He wears his hair to the shoulder, and appears to have the proper balance of intensity and chill. Shipley opened with 71, then held on for 76 on day two. He made the cut by three shots, and will collect his share of hardware on Sunday. It’s safe to say that Shipley will turn his attention to learning the course, as well as his own self under pressure.
Following a birdie on No. 13, Neal Shipley is the lowest amateur on the course. #themasters pic.twitter.com/3MAjI3yltE
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2024
Three: 23
For most sorts fans, 23 recalls the greatest NBA player of all time, Michael Jordan. For Justin Thomas, it’s a number that will haunt him for a long time. Thomas reached tee number fifteen on Friday at even par. The two-time PGA Champion played the subsequent, four-hole stretch in 23 shots, missing the cut by a shot. On fifteen, he went for the green in two, in some sort of halfhearted manner. He got wet with shot number two, went long with his pitch, and three-putted from the fringe. On sixteen, he played away from safety and found elevated sand. His blast went down the hill, and he missed his approach putt in the wrong place. On seventeen, he missed his drive right and his approach long, and lost another shot to par. The coup de grace took place on the home hole: drive so horribly left that he had to pitch out to the fairway and hit three metal into the green. His third double bogey in four holes dropped him all the way to 151 and plus seven. Among the many questions, the foremost one was why he dropped his longtime caddy on the eve of a major championship. Surely Bones would have saved him one of those shots, and perhaps more.
Justin Thomas | 15th Hole, Round 2, Stroke 2 https://t.co/TYudRsbM8g
— ?????BuffaloGolfer.Com????? (@buffalogolfer) April 13, 2024
Four: Forty-Nine divided by five or six
Tiger Woods cannot possibly win title number six at Augusta in his 49th year, can he? Not on this broken body, and not from seven strokes behind, right? Not with so few competitive rounds over the most recent months, and not one year removed from a third-round withdrawal from this very tournament. Well, if he cannnot possibly win, allow us to dream and hope a bit, and hold on to a fantasy.
Tiger Woods gets back to one over par with chip-in birdie on No. 6. #themasters pic.twitter.com/h4G5CrbgdJ
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 12, 2024
Five: 3 that we like
We like Scottie Scheffler, of course. He seems to have a sense of Augusta National, and he was able to hold on in 2023 for the championship. We like Nikolai Hojgaard, because he might have just the proper combination of naivete and experience for a first-time winner. Finally, we like Collin Morikawa, a winner of two separate major titles. Winning at Augusta National requires a certain amount of length, unless you putt lights out. Morikawa might be embedded in one of those putting weeks.
Nicolai Højgaard chips in on No. 7 to move to red numbers. #themasters pic.twitter.com/CTE34kuOdh
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2024
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5 things we learned: Thursday at the Masters
The rains came early at Augusta, just as they did in Buffalo. The distinguishing factor was, they had a tournament to start in Augusta. Folks in Buffalo simply went to work, and paid attention to the clouds in north Georgia. By ten o’clock, the skies had cleared enough to begin play. Honorary tee shots were hit, and competitive play began. The delay assured that some of the afternoon groups would not sign scorecards on Thursday evening. Instead, they would rise early for completion of play, then turn right back around and go out for round two.
Round one was filled with the usual characteristics of major championship golf. A pair of golfers shot low rounds, with no guarantee that either would be able to preserve the blistering pace. Others gave shots inexplicably away, on the most confounding of holes, to push themselves away from the dream of the green jacket. Others played solid if unspectacular golf, to maintain the top of the board in sight. Finally, some held to a preserver for dear life, finding a way to stay within shouting distance of the leaders.
With that little bit of tease to lead us in, let’s get straight to the five things that we learned on Thursday at the Masters.
One: Can a horse be a horse for a course, for more than one round?
Both Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler have plenty of successful memories ’round the Augusta National course. Scheffle owns the ultimate prize, the 2022 green jacket, while DeChambeau was low amateur in 2016. That’s where the similarities end, however. DeChambeau has never finished higher than that low-am T21, while Scheffler has never finished outside the top 20 in four starts. DeChambeau has had fits of brilliance over the MacKenzie hills, but Scheffler is the one with four-round history.
While it seems unlikely the DeChambeau will miss the cut for a third consecutive time, the question of his ability to put rounds together remains. On Thursday, DeChambeau notched eight birdies on the day, and stumbled for bogey just once, at the ninth hole. For much of the day, he held a multi-shot lead over former champion Danny Willett, until Scheffler finished fast, with birdies at 12, 13, 15, and 16. His 66 brought him within one shot of the leader. Scheffler went without a bogey on the day, and ensured that DeChambeau would have much to consider over the night’s sleep.
Scottie Scheffler’s bunker shot on No. 12 finds the hole for birdie. #themasters pic.twitter.com/urr9NMj8gV
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2024
Two: Find a way to hang around
Rory McIlroy never looked like he had his best stuff on Thursday. Three bogeys on the day, including one at the gettable second hole, had him steaming. Unlike prior years, when his not-best stuff led to mid-70s numbers, Roars was able to four birdies along the way. His 71 won’t win any crystal, but it will keep him in the tournament. Does he need a 67 on Friday? Absolutely.
Will Zalatoris plays Augusta National as well as anyone. Eagles and birdies are always on the table for the young Texan. He reached four-under par at the 15th, but closed with two bogies for 70. Without the shot that you see below, he may never have found the mojo needed to reach minus-four. Moral of the story: find a way to get in the house with a number.
Will Zalatoris chips in on No. 5 to save par and remain in red numbers. #themasters pic.twitter.com/BeyiTsLiUp
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2024
Three: When you do things like this, find a way to keep it together!
The leaders’ board was filled with golfers like Ryan Fox (five-under through 12, inexplicable bogey at 13, finished minus-three), Erik Van Rooyen (minus-four through 13, only to close with three bogeys to finish one deep) Viktor Hovland (four below through nine, double at ten, one below at day’s end) and Matt Fitzpatrick (four deep through 13, three bogeys coming home.) What keeps these golfers from going deeper under par, or at least preserving their successful stature? It’s usually greed or the razor’s edge. There are too-safe places on the greens of Augusta, but there are always properly-safe areas, from where a two-putt is a probablility. In the case of most of these golfers, they either went at flags and short-sided themselves (leading to bogey) or tried to preserve their position, and landed in the three-putt zone.
Matt Fitzpatrick hits his tee shot close on Golden Bell, No. 12. #themasters pic.twitter.com/mRVfqszN3g
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2024
Four: How could you do this?
Rickie Fowler at 76, alongside Hideki Matsuyama. Guys, there were plenty of birdies out there! How could you manage to avoid them, and instead, stockpile the bogeys? Well, at least Hideki has a green jacket already, and at least Rickie has some crystal from Wednesday. Odds are that one of them will post 68 on Friday and make the cut.
A Wednesday to remember. #themasters pic.twitter.com/ycWS0DK9sb
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 10, 2024
Five: Which golfers do we hope to see finish strong?
With plenty of round-one action left for Friday morning, we’ve scanned the board and determined that Nicolai Højgaard looks pretty good at five-under through fifteen. We’ll take three pars. We expect one birdie. We’d love to see two or three birdies coming home. Yup, we’re greedy!
Max Homa bounced back from bogey at 12 with birdie at 13, to get back to four under par. We have the same expectations for the California kid: lots of birdies coming home. We have our eyes on a couple of guys at minus-one, and then there’s Tyrrell Hatton at three-deep, along with Ludvig Åberg at minus-two. Plenty of golf left for first-round positioning. Set your alarm for early and don’t miss a single shot!
Tiger Woods couples his drive with an accurate approach and putt to birdie hole No. 1. #themasters https://t.co/2mrLiETCzy pic.twitter.com/YhiQsIQgZH
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 11, 2024
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Morning 9: Tiger’s Monday practice round | Brooks, Sergio switch putters | Masters eclipse glasses
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Mad-Mex
Jun 8, 2017 at 9:01 pm
I bet those who disagree and are bagging on Phil are the same drunk morons who yell “Mash Potato” “Ba-baboey” after a player hit his drive.
Sam
Jun 6, 2017 at 7:13 pm
Phil should donate some money and have them move the graduation to Saturday so he can do both
Jalan
Jun 10, 2017 at 3:23 pm
Yeah, right. Make every other parent and child change their plans, so the celebrity golfer can have his cake and eat it too.
Dave R
Jun 6, 2017 at 9:22 am
Family first . You only have one of them. Could not agree more. Good on him.
Taylor
Jun 5, 2017 at 8:57 pm
She’s obviously smart enough to realize it’s the US OPEN the only major your father hasn’t won in his life long journey in golf. Remember when you looked back at high school and realized what a joke it was…
Juice
Jun 6, 2017 at 3:57 pm
So because it was a joke for you his daughter should consider it a joke? You must’ve been the joke. SMH. Good for you Phil!
leo vincent
Jun 5, 2017 at 4:55 pm
Not something I would have done considering he only has a few more competitive U.S Opens left but the decision is his and other people’s opinions are meaningless
Bishop
Jun 5, 2017 at 12:30 pm
I completely agree with Phil’s decision, even though I’m not personally a father, yet. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for his daughter, and she has obviously worked incredibly diligently for her own accomplishments, even in high school. It seems to me that Phil is cognizant of this accomplishment, and I can’t describe how proud I’d be of being able to see my own child give a commencement speech. Maybe he feels that he could be a competitor in another year at the US Open, or maybe he doesn’t feel it’s important because he doesn’t think he can get the W. Or, maybe he doesn’t care, because family is more important to him than another year at the US Open….
Kudos to him.
Tom54
Jun 5, 2017 at 12:08 pm
Seems to me if the High School scheduled the ceremony on a Thursday and not on the weekend then they certainly can up it to Wednesday. I agree that Phil could make a donation in his daughters honor to the school things would work out fine. If they change the date for you Phil, then you best contend
Brian
Jun 5, 2017 at 12:02 pm
I understand him missing the Open given that his daughter is speaking. If she were just walking…I mean…you’re expected to graduate HS.
DaveT
Jun 5, 2017 at 11:30 am
I’m not a Phil fan at all, but I have huge respect for this decision. I can’t understand the people who put it down. His daughter is class president and valedictorian! That’s big! It’s not something you get in a box of cereal. I wonder how many of the haters came close to a shot at valedictorian themselves.
Jeff
Jun 5, 2017 at 9:23 am
He should just make a sizable donation to the HS to have them move the whole graduation ceremony. Win-win, the HS gets some extra funds and Phil gets to play in the open.
Jalan
Jun 10, 2017 at 3:26 pm
How does every other family “Win”? What if they have plans they can’t change for some wealthy privileged golfer?
Ronald Montesano
Jun 5, 2017 at 9:02 am
If Phil never wins a US Open, he’ll be in pretty solid company with 3-Major Champions. Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Nancy Lopez, Lee Trevino, Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson, to list six. Can’t fault the guy, can’t fault the school, bravo for the daughter, onward and upward. Lavaplatos.
High Cut
Jun 5, 2017 at 1:20 am
Is there a tonne of dogleg-rights?
setter02
Jun 4, 2017 at 7:35 pm
Lol, the haters are strong with this one! And, pathetic…
Mad-Mex
Jun 4, 2017 at 6:28 pm
I think those who are against his decision are not or have not been fathers.
Jalan
Jun 10, 2017 at 3:27 pm
I’m not convinced they’re even adults.
Tyler
Jun 4, 2017 at 5:20 pm
Guys come on. His daughter is speaking at her high school graduation. You’re telling me you’d miss that if you were him? That’s a bad life mistake. This should be common sense.
Rwj
Jun 4, 2017 at 6:26 pm
Then why didn’t he actually withdraw? Bc he hopes all the PR will cause the school to change? An actual good person wouldn’t have needed to tell everyone about it
Mad-Mex
Jun 4, 2017 at 6:40 pm
Serious?!?! Are YOU out of high school? “Why didn’t he withdraw? Because he hopes the school will change the date with all this media attention. A good person would not have the need to tell everyone about it,,,, notice the difference? Just one of the many examples the sentence structure can be changed.
Actually, a good person would respect another person’s decision.
Jasian Day
Jun 4, 2017 at 4:18 pm
It’s kinda sad when you think about it….
Phil and Amy have such spoiled bratty kids.
The “diva” of the family has to have daddy watch her achieve what millions of other people do every single year.
I pity the future husband. Whole new level of selfishness
K Unt
Jun 5, 2017 at 2:35 am
Why you so jealous?
BB
Jun 5, 2017 at 5:48 am
What a sad, pathetic post.
Big Richard Cox
Jun 5, 2017 at 7:18 am
I liked the post! Hit the nail on the head.
birdie
Jun 5, 2017 at 9:25 am
his daughter is giving the speech. She is the class president and the valedictorian. so many people with their opinions yet completely ignorant of the facts surrounding the situation.
ooffa
Jun 4, 2017 at 1:25 pm
Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, did I read that right. High School? I could understand if it was graduation from the doctorate program at Harvard or M.I.T. But high school! Go play tournament. Do your job!
birdie
Jun 5, 2017 at 9:26 am
yeah…class president and the valedictorian. giving a speech. i’d want to watch my kid graduate
ooffa
Jun 5, 2017 at 10:12 am
Sounds like she’s a real smart kid. She more than anyone should therefore understand why her Dad should play in the US Open.
SH
Jun 4, 2017 at 10:28 am
He da best
Progolfer
Jun 4, 2017 at 10:18 am
Nice gesture by Phil, but an even nicer gesture would be if his daughter forced her father to chase his dream– something I’m sure Phil encourages her and her siblings to do– of winning the US Open. Imagine the spark that would give Phil. He unexpectedly won the Masters when his wife was batting breast cancer. His daughter has a tremendous opportunity to give her father the greatest gift she ever could. If only she did and he went on to win the Grand Slam because of it!! That would complete his career in style.
stephen Harasti
Jun 4, 2017 at 10:01 am
The course must not setup well for him
Golferguy
Jun 4, 2017 at 9:42 am
He’s a good Dad.
Jasian Day
Jun 4, 2017 at 1:46 pm
Not to that one kid in Ohio or wherever
Jasian Day
Jun 4, 2017 at 9:24 am
It ain’t like he was gonna win or anything
Mad-Mex
Jun 4, 2017 at 5:10 am
This should be getting more news coverage than Tiger Woods
Wonder who is the low life who shanked this?
Wonder if he will have the backbone to admit it?
Jasian Day
Jun 4, 2017 at 9:23 am
I will
Ben
Jun 6, 2017 at 9:56 am
Shank
Family Guy
Jun 4, 2017 at 5:07 am
Incredibly unselfish act!
E
Jun 4, 2017 at 1:54 am
Awwwwww…. isn’t that special.