Since I seem to be the only Phil fan this morning... Congrats Phil on win #33 and overtaking the 13th place in all time wins list.

Haven't seen many people weigh in on Quinney's lack luster performance and utter putting collapse (even after a brilliant display 99.9% of the entire tourney).

I gotta give it to Phil... His wifey is HAWWTTT !

I thought Phil's win was great! I hope he bags another major this year.

golfer98... most hated, doubtful. I think many people like Phil... and yes he IS careful about what he says in public and sometimes it seems rehersed, but that is because he is intelligent and doesn't want to say stupid stuff like say... Rory, Ian, or otherwise. Genuine or not... giving people Superbowl tickets and sending Tiger's daughter a ping pong set are nice gestures.

Phil is a class act and I hope he has a great year, and challenges TW a few times.

Because I don't buy his "oh gosh golly darn shoot" tv personality.

I was going to go in to other things, but it's been discussed over and over and over and OVER.

Well - any win on the PGA Tour is an accomplishment, but this really wasn't a very exciting tournament.

But not without alerting the tv crews before hand.

God forbid that go unreported.

Phil needs to start cursing at the top of his lungs (ala Freddie and Tiger) and stop giving little kids golf balls during the round. That should help with his popularity.....

Seriously doubt most hated title, now Rory maybe.

I am glad I am not the only one who thinks there is more to Phil's story than meets the eye. But he does have a ton of talent and we all have to respect that. Todd

Is it obligatory for PGA Tour wives to wear ludicrous sunglasses?

Caroline Harrington is still the Tiger Woods of the 'pretentious shades' world as the undisputed number 1, but, parallelling her husband's golf ranking, Amy Mickelson is firmly settled into the #2 spot after Sunday's spirited performance...

A black wig and a silver lame glove and she'd have passed for an early 90's Michael Jackson...

The amount of irrational Phil-hatred on this board never ceases to amaze me. He gives away Super Bowl tickets (which is picked up by a camera across the fairway), and he "alerted the media first". He prioritizes his family first and "he doesn't have enough killer instinct to win".

He's careful with what he says in the media...but so is Tiger (who never gets criticized for it).

Phil fans ought to be excited..he's put in the effort to get better..can't fault a man for that and his swing looks better too..would have been more interesting to see how he played over the last 5 holes if it was against a top 10 player not giving him the tournament. He was always going to beat Quinney, who choked miserably after one bad putt...
At the same time, it is tough to get too excited for some..Tiger has set the standard too high..Every year he has something new to show..and he's always teeing up against the toughest field.
He's won his last 7 tournament starts...I am sure it will end at the Matchplay..but his presence just dwarfs the top players who a lot is expected out but deliver minimally.

I think there is some truth when tour players who know him better than us, insinuate that he is a fraud and a fake at that.
Couples, VJ, Appleby have all alluded to that part of Mickelson.
So when Bones is suddenly giving a ticket out in full view of the camera..I mean there are many ways to do this without the camera being around...people get suspicious based on his reputation.
I suppose he's fighting to be the Arnold Palmer (the loved one) to Tiger's (Nicklaus, the Champ)...but unlike Arnold who did this his whole life, Phil's rather recent..saw an opportunity and changed his persona to fit..I live in DC and there are many politicians like that..it doesn't make them bad politicians..nor should it make Mickelson a bad person, they are in the entertainment business and sponsorship business at that..you need to be liked to make millions of endorsement dollars...or just let your extraordinary achievement speak for itself..
Without Tiger, he would be ruling the golf world..but so far he's doing better than he probably ought to in the endorsement arena..

nicely put

keep this thread clean guys........ it's on the radar screen now

I was working as a hole marshall last year at our local tournament (Travelers Championship) when a couple stood right behind me, by themselves. I realized after seeing Padraig walking up to his ball that it was Caroline and I believe one of Padraig's brother. I said hi and we made lots of small talk, they were wonderfully friendly and curteous, but I remember those glasses...they were HUUUUUUUGE. LOL Almost looked as if she was wearing motorcycle goggles or something.

Isn't it great that the "most hated" person in golf is Phil Mickelson? Think about it, wouldn't all other sports love to have a problem like that? Would you rather have Barry Bonds?, Roger Clemens?, Allen Iverson?, Terrell Owens?, Ray lewis, Rasheed Wallace?, or all of the other people in the NBA, NFL and MLB who have bought sold and used drugs, gone to jail, been involved in fights, cheated on their wives, knocked up their prostitutes, been caught with weapons, killed people, stabbed people, spent some time in jail, and generally acted like thugs.

yeah Phil is a disgrace to the game. You guys have your priorities way out of wack, give me a break, I suppose you all are big John Day fans, now there is a real beer drinking, cigarette smoking, wife beating, gambling addict, role model of a father and husband. Who is a quitter on the course and self destructive in his personal life.

Phil is super talented and seems to be a fine human being with an attractive wife and kids. He seems to be a kind and loving family man. He will win 50 tourneys and several more majors in his illustrious career.

Still, not everyone likes him -- which puts him in the same league as all of us.

(hopefully, the censors will like this post better than my previous nicknamed version)

Hey! Phil even looks fit this year -- maybe it's the slimming hat instead of the visor that does it for him.

Disclosure: I don't know Phil, haven't heard first-hand stories about him and my only basis for the above comments is his playing record, following him for a few rounds over 10 years ago before he began winning and only a handful of people followed him, and what I've read about him in the media.

whether he is a 'fake/fraud' or not... doesn't mean he didn't win. I am a huge Phil fan because he is a lefty and is one of the best of all time. i like him even moreso because of the controversay I read all the time from 'people in the know'. I really get a kick out of how people can't give him credit for anything because VJ, Couples, etc say he is a fake. Even when he wins, people say he wouldn't have if this guy or that was playing with him the final day. These guys are all good enough to win at any given time, so taking any credit away from a guy who beat so many other pros that week is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, Phil is still #2... I like the guy, but I am not stupid!!!

Why no love for Phil after yesterday's win? It's obvious, he's not really a fan favorite among WRX'ers. No big deal, no need to call out the entire messageboard for not offering up kudos. And nobody is trying to discredit the man as a player, you're the one who asked the question, "Why no love for Phil?" and people are responding that they don't care for his persona, so who cares, you like Phil, let it go. Your original post is what got people going on a negative slant. Next time you might instead offer up a thread celebrating a Phil victory and all it's positives, i.e. first win at Riviera, strong bounce back from a MC last week, etc.

AMEN, AMEN !!!

The big hug and kiss w/ wife at the end was ridiculous. It was like he had never won before or he had just won the Open

my work here is done!

Phil doesn't need our love - he loves himself quite enough.

Is there really anyone who has it better than Phil He has been one of the best golfers on the planet for over a decade, wins tournaments/majors, has more money than he can ever spend, appears happily married and loves and spends time with his kids.

By all accounts, unlike Tiger, Phil is very generous with his money. People are tipped well, tickets are given away, and dinner tabs are picked up. Who cares if publicity follows efforts such as these.
What have most of us ever given away.

Who else gets criticized for making a father/sons week, or skipping a tournament(JOB) to take his kids to school, or to see him play a soccer game? These are all liberties we take as none golfers, but expect Phil not to. WHy? Because he is playing in a golf tournament, his job, for which the prize money is irrelevant to him. Phil has realized that the mindless pursuit of winning golf tournaments at this stage of his life/career is unnecessary.

I am quite sure he is very satisfied with the current state of his life.

Don't believe everything you read. The media WANTS this to make Phil out to be the "bad" or "fake" guy. It's a shame that somebody can't be the good guy or do the right thing w/o be scrutinized.

Post of the day!

that's the problem..a lot seems a little out of place with him..but remember the wife used to be a Cheerleader..I am sure she likes the razzmatazzing limelight quite a bit too and the "I love you so much" to the kids in the past..I suppose you could blame the media for being opportunists..hanging microphones close to him when he is with his family or turning the camera on when he's giving tickets away
maybe that is just the way he is...for others..it all seems manufactured...he has it good though..great life

Ha ha - Good comedy, glad to see stereotypes are alive and well on this board.

And you really should not make sweeping generalisations about everyone who does not like a certain person, or tell lies/slander people.

I like Phil, and I don't care what anyone else thinks. Not everyone is going to like everyone.

i do not know Phil Mickelson personally (probably like most people on this board), so i won't comment on his character.
but what i do know is that i like to watch him play golf on tv. it's not just that he is a great golfer, the second best in the world right now, but i also like watching the way he plays, because i think amateurs really can relate to it. at least i can.
when Mickelson leads in a tournament on the last day, it is not OVER, like it is with Tiger Woods. Phil Mickelson is always able to make it interesting again, because his course management is questionable sometimes, because he takes unnecessary risks, because his swing is not 100% mechanically sound and certainly not bullet proof. he is an amazing golfer, but sometimes he does (stupid) things on the golf course, like all of us amateurs often do. and that sort of makes me like him.
just to clear things up: that doesn't mean that i don't like Tiger Woods. i don't know him either, but i certainly cannot relate to the way he plays golf. so that's the difference right there.

I laugh when Freddie and VJ are used as sources of comment on one's character. Fred who took cursing to a new high/low especially when children were present. Fortunately Fred isn't on the leaderboard much anymore so we don't get to listen to his pearls of wisdom. Fred has been married how many times now? 2 or 3 with a repeat in there and at least one other engagement. Much better family man than phony Phil eh? Also can't remember when during Phil's career that he signed an incorrect scorecard to make a cut when he was a little short of money... Must have missed that one. So a couple of real stones and glass houses commentors it would appear.

I like Phil, because I love golf and Phil is good for the game of golf. I don't know him or Tiger personally, so to make judgements about them would be unfair. I am sure that both of them are very calculating when it comes to the media and etc... They have to be. Tiger's the best golfer today, and will most likely go down as the best golf of all time. Tiger is fun to watch because he can seem to make the impossible shot just when he needs to at he right time, and he can blow a field out in a matter of a back nine run. Phil is fun to watch, because you never no which Phil will show up. He is without question the # 2 player in the world, and without the Tiger era would be the # 1 golfer in the world and making a run at Jack Nickaluas' records himself. But for those who love the great game of golf, let's just enjoy the show. Without Tiger or Phil, golf is just not as fun to watch. And when Tiger and Phil are playing head to head at the top of both their games as at Doral a few years ago, and at the Boston this past fall, it is exciting and breath taking. And that is great for golf. This is setting up to be a great year for the fans of golf, regardless of whose corner you sit.

Since all we as viewers have to determine our likes and dislikes of tour players is their media presents; I just don't feel as though PM's media persona tells the real story. He sounds to rehearsed and superficial.

I agree 100%. Maybe Phil is not "faking". Maybe that is actually the way that he is? Who knows. I don't. It all seemed a bit odd at first but it has been consistent since the day he turned pro back at Pebble Beach in 1992. Everybody has to deal with thiings their own way.

Just my two cents.

Don't mistake fake with confidence. The guy is good.......probably one of the best ever. I think the physical gifts are equal to Tiger but not mentally.......especially the "goal oriented" piece of it.

[quote name='bgolfing' date='Feb 18 2008, 09:31 AM' post='922422']
The big hug and kiss w/ wife at the end was ridiculous. It was like he had never won before or he had just won the Open
[/quote

What's wrong with that? Winning the LA Open is a big thing especially for a southern Californian, or winning any PGA Tour event for that matter. I imagine it's a lot of hard work, pressure and competition from a very tough field. Not to mention the million dollar purse, I would be kissing my wife too. He's a family man it seems and has a very good relationship with his wife. So if it's not a major, maybe just a hug and no kiss? Come on, give the guy a break. He was the best golfer in this tournament and deserved a win, a kiss and a big hug IMO.

nope

And could care less about what the members of WRX think of him, won't affect his paycheck or yours, I like the guy, and you say "who cares who you like" and thats all right by me! IMHO (of course)

Since when was a happy marriage and a display of public affection so wrong?

I guess people just hate it when somebody might be genuine and thoughtful. I think it is funny that people will take the work of two pros who have clearly been labeled as unfriendly to the fans.

So be it, people will think what they want. Just look at the way people skew their viewpoints about the Presidential candidates.

I'm always glad when Phil wins a tournament. I hear all the stories about Phil being fake, blah, blah, blah, but I think almost everyone has a public persona that differs from their private one. You can be a nice guy without having to like everyone you work with.

So maybe Phil isn't always the angel we see on TV, but I think 95% of PGA players could learn something from his on-course demeanour. He walks through crowds with his head up, makes eye contact with everyone he talks to and gives golf fans everything they went to the course to see.

He may not be popular among WRXers but he is one of the most beloved players of his generation in U.S. and abroad.

Too funny. I guess maybe the U.S.O.C. could use you to judge the Olympic trials. Or maybe there is a job for you in the NFL or NBA as a talent scout.

Just for grins, what makes you think that Phil is not as physically gifted as Tiger? I am curious to hear.

What about Tiger? There is NO ONE who has what he says more closely combed over and analyzed than Tiger Woods. He will not take a stand, will not speak his mind, and will not go off script. Atleast Phil has said some forgetful things ( inferior equipment etc). Was the Kelly Tighlman thing over blown, sort of. Should he have said more, absolutely. Much like Michael Jordan, there is too much money at stake to take a stand. Nike has sweat shops all over the world. Tiger could put major pressure on them to stop this nonsense. Does he, absolutely not.

I'm not the biggest Phil fan...no big deal, I'm just not a fan. I will agree with others that I think he puts on a fake persona for TV (public image), but that's my opinion...in the end, what does that really matter?

Regardless, he's given a lot of money to charity and has a great game. He should be respected for that and his current win should be honored. I can be a big enough man to say "congrats".

Everyone- you, me, Tiger, Phil...EVERYONE is fake sometimes.

They're on TV. That's the only difference.

I think it's funny how everyone thinks he puts on a fake persona for TV. How do you know? Nobody here knows Phil off the course so your opinion is irrelevant. If you know someone on and off the course that you can make that judgement, but nobody in here does. Why can't somebody just be a good guy? For how many of the "good" things we see Phil do or read about. I wonder how many "good" things he does that aren't reported and nobody knows about.

Plenty of love for Phil over here.
Both on and off the course he was by a very, very long way the most polite, generous, considerate and basically human of all the "name" pros here for the HSBC Champions week. And his wife was also a hit.

No need to be specific in public but almost all the other "names" were rude, inconsiderate and self inflated to the extent of being a joke. Most of them needed a plain old kick in the rear and would get it in real life.

You know what, that's my perception and my opinion and I'm entitled to it. The original post asked why there isn't overwhelming praise for an impressive victory and without making it personal, I stated why (an opinion which many others seem to share), but was also big enough to give congrats on a good victory. I don't need someone telling me that my opinion is irrevleant when the answer is honest and pertains to the original question.

I haven't critized anyone in this thread for showering him with praise for his "on-camera" good deeds, have I? You could easily reverse the question you posed to me...How do you know he's a good guy and it's not just an act? Do you talk with him daily? Do you get to hear the inner workings of his mind? Do you see how he interacts with others (family, wife, waiters/waitresses, associates, etc) outside of the media? How many bad things does he do that are never reported. You're so quick to believe in all the good things he does on camera, yet like the rest of us, you would be guilty of the same lack of true evidence to verify your opinions that he is a "good guy". And thus, it remains we have our opinions based on what we perceive.

Again, I'm not a big Phil fan and I have my opinions which make me (and many others) less inclined to give him overwhelming praise for a good victory. I will however give a congrats because I respect his game and victory. I can also appreciate that he does donate to charities...my opinions and perceptions about him will inevitably affect why I might not shower him with praise, but again as I originally stated, does it matter? My opinions will not stop him from winning or possibly being a good guy. It's just why I (and many others) have not jumped on the Phil bandwagon.