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Phil Mickelson: Playing courses like Le Golf National “is a waste of my time”
After lighting up the Safeway Open on Thursday afternoon with a round of 65, Phil Mickelson gave an interesting interview after finishing his round. While discussing his impressive opening round of seven-under par around Silverado Country Club, Mickelson talked about his experience at last week’s Ryder Cup and the course itself, Le Golf National. When questioned about the bitter fallout that continues to rumble on from the U.S. camp, Mickelson described the team unity of the American side last week as “one of the best weeks of team unity that he’s seen from a U.S. side”.
Mickelson also commented on Le Golf National, and how it’s a golf course that “is a waste of time my time to play”. When asked directly about the struggles of the U.S. side at the host course of last week’s Ryder Cup, Mickelson stated:
“The fact is that they had brutal rough, almost unplayable, and it’s not the way I play. Here (Silverado CC), I can miss some fairways, and it’s playable. I’m 48; I’m not going to play tournaments with rough like that anymore, it’s a waste of my time. I’m going to play courses that are playable and that I can play aggressive, attacking, make a lot of birdies style of golf that I like to play.”
Mickelson’s performance at Le Golf National last week certainly supports his claim that golf courses that set up with tight fairways and thick rough are a waste of his time to play, but his comments are sure to raise some serious questions over what exactly he was doing in Paris for the 2018 Ryder Cup. Captain Jim Furyk came under attack for some of the decisions he made last week in Paris, and as a captains pick Mickelson’s comments about his inability to play courses such as Le Golf National is sure to add more fuel to that particular fire. Mickelson’s statements also bring up the question mark of his own preparation and knowledge of Le Golf National, and if it was even right on his part to accept his captain’s pick.
What do you make of Mickelson’s comments?
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Tommy Fleetwood has been attached to his Odyssey White Hot Pro #3 putter for years now. However, this week at the Wells Fargo Championship, we did spot him testing a new putter that is very different, yet somewhat similar, to his current gamer.
This new putter is a TaylorMade Spider Tour X head but with a brand new neck we haven’t seen on a Spider before. A flow neck is attached to the Spider head and gives the putter about a 1/2 shaft offset. This style neck will usually increase the toe hang of the putter and we can guess it gets the putter close to his White Hot Pro #3.
Another interesting design is that lack of TaylorMade’s True Path alignment on the top of the putter. Instead of the large white center stripe, Tommy’s Spider just has a very short white site line milled into it. As with his Odyssey, Tommy seems to be a fan of soft inserts and this Spider prototype looks to have the TPU Pure Roll insert with 45° grooves for immediate topspin and less hopping and skidding.
The sole is interesting as well in that the rear weights don’t look to be interchangeable and are recessed deep into the ports. This setup could be used to push the CG forward in the putter for a more blade-like feel during the stroke, like TaylorMade did with the Spider X Proto Scottie Scheffler tested out.
Tommy’s putter is finished off with an older Super Stroke Mid Slim 2.0 grip in blue and white. The Mid Slim was designed to fit in between the Ultra Slim 1.0 and the Slim 3.0 that was a popular grip on tour.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.
Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.
Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.
According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.
He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.
Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
So, with a couple of weeks off following his latest start at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Thomas sought to re-address his driver setup with the remote help of Titleist Tour fitting expert J.J. Van Wezenbeeck. About two weeks ago, Thomas and Van Wezenbeeck reviewed his recent driver stats, and discussed via phone call some possible driver and shaft combinations for him to try.
After receiving Van Wezenbeeck’s personalized shipment of product options while at home, Thomas found significant performance improvements with Titleist’s TSR2 head, equipped with Thomas’ familiar Mitsubishi Diamana ZF 60 TX shaft.
Compared to Thomas’ longtime TSR3 model, the TSR2 has a larger footprint and offers slightly higher spin and launch characteristics.
According to Van Wezenbeeck, Thomas has picked up about 2-3 mph of ball speed, to go along with 1.5 degrees higher launch and more predictable mishits.
“I’d say I’d been driving it fine, not driving it great, so I just wanted to, honestly, just test or try some stuff,” Thomas said on Tuesday in an interview with GolfWRX.com at Quail Hollow Club. “I had used that style of head a couple years ago (Thomas used a TSi2 driver around 2021); I know it’s supposed to have a little more spin. Obviously, yeah, I’d love to hit it further, but if I can get a little more spin and have my mishits be a little more consistent, I felt like obviously that’d be better for my driving…
“This (TSR2) has been great. I’ve really, really driven it well the week I’ve used it. Just hitting it more solid, I don’t know if it’s the look of it or what it is, but just a little bit more consistent with the spin numbers. Less knuckle-ball curves. It has been fast. Maybe just a little faster than what I was using. Maybe it could be something with the bigger head, maybe mentally it looks more forgiving.”
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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Stephen Donaght
Oct 22, 2018 at 10:21 am
We play the ball as it lies and the course in front of us, that is part of the unique nature of golf. All courses are different and we all have setups and styles we prefer. But it is as much a mental game as a physical one. You need the mental acuity to choose the right shot and the self discipline to deal with the consequences when it doesn’t turn out as planned. It seems to me that Phil no longer has the burning desire to discipline himself to the demands of the course.
I am sure he will make a killing on the Champions Tour though.
Simms
Oct 17, 2018 at 2:29 pm
A player considered “A Great Player” would fit his game to the course, Ten thousand golf instructors out there would tell you sometimes a driver or even a wood off the tee is not the right club. Us poor amateur hackers are hitting 3 woods and 3,4 irons into par 4 greens from our 180 yard drives in the fairways everyday….so sad if a pro is upset because he does not have a wage from 150 on a 480 yard par 4…..I loved that set up for this years rider cup, made a 240 yard drive in the fairway a plus over the 320 yard drive in the ruff.
dixiedoc
Oct 17, 2018 at 11:32 am
Well he proves it once again, Phil is all about Phil. Please don’t show up at any more Rider Cups.
David Lehmann
Oct 19, 2018 at 12:36 pm
What is a “Rider” Cup?
David LehmannTheJack4ss
Oct 24, 2018 at 1:21 pm
The one where 2 teams take turns riding David’s mum
kevin
Oct 9, 2018 at 3:44 pm
his arrogance continues to shine.
AggOwl
Oct 8, 2018 at 6:09 pm
Mickelson and woods were both picked because they increase the viewership which sells more advertising which means more profit to the networks who bought the broadcasting rights. It’s that simple. Neither of them were going to refuse an offer to play and piss off all of the sponsors.
This sport is a business like any other professional sport. It’s all driven by sponsors dollars and selling advertising.
That is the only reason they were picked. Which means this team was sold to the highest bidder.
Christopher Hansen
Oct 8, 2018 at 8:22 pm
Amen.
Tim
Oct 13, 2018 at 11:48 pm
yup!
Ev
Oct 19, 2018 at 6:34 am
Sorry but you’re wrong. Woods was close to winning 2 majors and also won the Tour Championship beating the top 30 players in the world.
Gurt
Oct 21, 2018 at 1:33 pm
Woods is never any good at Matchplay. It’s no solid comparison.
U_Who
Oct 25, 2018 at 1:54 am
Bull… he won US Am 3 years in a row !!!
John
Nov 2, 2018 at 3:36 pm
The difference is the Ryder Cup is a team event and Woods is all about himself.
AggOwl
Nov 5, 2018 at 7:58 am
He had some success, yes. Not a slam to Woods, just a fact niether he or Mickelson would have been picked were it not for sponsor pressure.
Tiger undoubtedly was the greatest player in the game at one time. He is the best thing that ever happened to the business of golf but the worst thing that ever happened to the game of golf.
Aaron
Oct 8, 2018 at 4:46 pm
I thought picking him was a bad choice based just on his US Open ‘shenanigans’ aka cheating. A shame to see him live up to exactly that performance, guess we should have believed him the first time.
Mike
Oct 8, 2018 at 4:04 pm
More sour grapes from a man at the end of his career. Hasn’t changed from the time he was so critical of the great Tom Watson. Beginning to sound like he is the problem in the team!
Jack Nash
Oct 8, 2018 at 3:43 pm
So is your Cup record. When you’re in the trees a lot it’s hard to see the greens. You’ll still get great sponsorship though.
Mike Barnard
Oct 8, 2018 at 2:14 pm
Tragic chat from Phil. One trick pony from now on. Disrespectful to his Captain, teammates and fans. I thought all top pros could hit the ball relatively long and fairly straight … it’s what they do for a job?? You get the odd genius of Seve who was wild off the tee and ( like Phil ) has a mercurial short game , but you would NEVER have heard Seve talk like that. Totally tragic comments.
joro
Oct 8, 2018 at 1:17 pm
Well Phil, you could have dropped out and let somebody who wanted to win play. Face it, you and Tiger are RC losers. I have pulled for you every time you compete since your career started only to be disappointed by your pathetic finishes. You always seem to Phuque it up somehow thinking you can still play like you used to and of course you won’t change anything that people toll you, stubborn is the word. So do I not wast My time pulling for you, or are you going to wake up and adjust so you can win again, you can do it you know, just take your head out of your rear and adjust. And i would suggest you start listening to what Butch is telling you, he is right. I wish you good luck in the future.
Tom54
Oct 8, 2018 at 1:07 pm
Hard to believe a player with his talents never learned a swing that would eliminate one side of the course. Seems all his career he found both sides of deep rough. The fact that he nearly won so many US Opens is a testament of his great short game. If he would just face up to needing to hit it straighter instead of fussing about the course setup he might come across a little better. Maybe he should try a shorter shaft in the driver.Not that I was gonna watch,but he needs to get better if he thinks he even has a prayer against Tiger in their upcoming match.
Tim
Oct 13, 2018 at 11:53 pm
with the phil vs tiger match, i think they are going to add some dimension to it. If it were straight match play or stroke play tiger might be up 5 after 7-8 holes and the ratings would drop. i think there will be something weird that will be applied.
Kevin Kelly
Oct 8, 2018 at 1:00 pm
Let me write directly (lol) to Phil I listened to and read this account of your comments. You’re right and I agree with you 100%. You should have declined the team offer (since you were picked) because of what you’ve so eloquently described and shared. You were absolutely the worst “horses for course” pick in history of Ryder Cup. And I love watching you play ( was 75 yards away when you the behind the tree off the pinestraw shot and your not so high jump Masters wind!” You should have been gentleman enough at this stage if life to proudly Thank Jim for the offer and then politely declined. Thanks for reading, Respectfully
Btw Nice article, well written and on point young man.
Timothy
Oct 8, 2018 at 12:56 pm
I cheer for individual players rather than US or European ,so I’m not biased that way, but I thought the course was ridiculous. I kept looking for windmills, water slides and rubber ducks. Oh well, these choices are all about money and politics.
Tom
Oct 8, 2018 at 12:36 pm
Phi stop being a ???? crybaby. You’re paid big bucks , so stuff it and admit you were beaten far and square.
Me
Oct 8, 2018 at 12:33 pm
Mickelson needs to take a couple years off and try to reinvent himself for the Champions tour.
In the meantime he could work on his NFL picks and insider trading investments.
Funkaholic
Oct 8, 2018 at 11:22 am
In other words “I am a big baby and will only play in pristine conditions because I am not, nor have I ever been, up to a challenge.” Phil wants his rough like my fairways, his tee box like my greens and his hazards totally out of play.
Bert Gwaltney
Oct 7, 2018 at 5:52 pm
Sad day again for Phil, US Open Rules fiasco, now condemning a course he could not handle, nor could the team, but the Euro’s could. Basically I’m not sure Phil could handle any course that required accuracy, especially driver accuracy.
Was a favorite but have lost respect for him and any comments he would make. Hopefully we won’t suffer from his Captaincy.
T-Bone
Oct 7, 2018 at 12:38 pm
So does this mean he’s not going to play in the US Open anymore?
Christian Larsson
Oct 8, 2018 at 11:18 am
My first thought as well
Shane Ingram
Oct 6, 2018 at 11:18 am
Isn’t it more relevant that Phil wasted the US team and its supporters time in energy and resources in an event where he wasn’t going to contribute but someone else would have had a much better chance? Or is it about Phil and not the team?
larrybud
Oct 6, 2018 at 3:00 pm
Gees Phil, you should have said something sooner. You knew how the course was going to be set up.
Alvaro
Oct 8, 2018 at 2:09 pm
Maybe he didn’t. It looked like he didn’t care at all.
Tom Duckworth
Oct 6, 2018 at 10:43 am
A very poor comment from Phil. He should have bowed out and Jim should have focused on players that fit that course.
Isn’t golf about adapting to be course to shoot a good score. Maybe distance isn’t the problem on tour it’s wide fairways with light
rough. I don’t watch golf on TV to see how far they can drive I watch to see good golf but I guess that’s what thePGA thinks we want.
They have created their own problem by setting up courses for long wild bombers. They too often give in to whining golfers that want the course to play easy so they can play “birdie ” golf whatever that is.
drbopperthp
Oct 6, 2018 at 10:15 am
Vijay Singh told you all about Mr. FIGJAM a long time ago. But you didn’t want to listen. So now you know.
ND Hickman
Oct 6, 2018 at 9:29 am
He just turned up to do his high kick in the team room.
JP
Oct 5, 2018 at 11:41 pm
Tiger just sent Shadow Creek GC a bunch of money to start watering the rough and to stop cutting it.
Terry
Oct 5, 2018 at 10:14 pm
Losing respect for Phil and his antics/comments over the past year. What a shmuck
Johnny Penso
Oct 5, 2018 at 9:36 pm
Funny how people hail Patrick Reed and his family as a heros for airing their grievances in public but Phil is fat and lazy for doing the same thing…lol.
Tom
Oct 5, 2018 at 7:49 pm
Maybe he could run after his ball if it is heading toward the rough and hit it while its moving like he did in the US Open?
Tom
Oct 5, 2018 at 7:47 pm
Watching Phil play Tiger on Thanksgiving would be a big waste of viewers time and money (pay-for-view). When the going gets “rough” Phil evidently quits?
Red
Oct 5, 2018 at 7:05 pm
Phil, if this was such a waste of your time, why did you not spare Jim Furyk from wasting his wild card on you?
If you’d have checked earlier, you’d have realised that the course is not your super-wide fairway that supports your play.
So, instead of telling Furyk that you are not fit for playing there, you still do, just so you can get on the record books?
Great sense of what a team needs you have there 🙂
Kim Hay
Oct 5, 2018 at 6:17 pm
OK, Phil, do not enter any more US Opens which have tight fairways and rough. You totally exaggerated the width of the fairways in Paris, not 14-16 yards wide as you stated, more like 20 to 40 yards. You have acted poorly this year, gross rules infraction and now slagging a venue that was more like a USA style course than a European style course. How about showing some humility, you were not prepared, did not play well and are now looking for excuses. Definitely falling down the respect ladder and not being a very good example for the many fans who enjoy watching you play.
rex235
Oct 5, 2018 at 5:47 pm
So-
Phil Mickelson’s last shot in a Ryder Cup event will be a tee shot in the water (eau)?
Do not despair! The PGA will offer him a Captaincy…in the US-
Then again…
Joeg Voll
Oct 5, 2018 at 4:53 pm
Wow? I consider myself to be quite a fan of Phil’s, but he lost quite a bit of my respect with this comment! (Not that it matters.) YOU SHOULD’VE DECLINED THE INVITATION THEN PHIL! IF PLAYING A COURSE LIKE THIS, is a waste of your time, then let 1 of the young guys take your place! How was the courses rough unfair??? The Europeans didn’t seem to mind, while they were waxing your @ss up and down the fairways! I wish I could add some colorful 4-letter expletives, to match my real feelings about PM’s comments! Hey Phil, maybe if you practiced keeping the ball in the fairways, instead of “dancing” like CP30 in need of a lube job, you could’ve actually contributed something in the Ryder Cup???
Luke Skywhacker
Oct 5, 2018 at 6:17 pm
C-3PO
Scheiss
Oct 5, 2018 at 6:18 pm
They were all there to visit Paris and Versailles with their respective WAGS. That’s why they didn’t decline to play.
Vas
Oct 5, 2018 at 4:48 pm
He’s totally right… but I’m sure Xander Schauffele would have liked that spot.
Thomas
Oct 5, 2018 at 4:46 pm
If this is the case, why didn’t Phil scout the course before the event and tell Captain Furyk NOT to pick him? I’m sure he ego wouldn’t allow that!
Anthony B
Oct 5, 2018 at 3:26 pm
They hit lots of fairways on the Senior Tour Phil. In the meantime, betting on Mickelson for the Players, US Open or the British Open would be a ‘waste of my time’.
Pete O'Tube
Oct 5, 2018 at 3:04 pm
So in future Mickleson will only play on courses with no hazards, no rough and no challenge. You’re a fat, lazy waste of time. Get some backbone and test yourself, see how good you can be if you hit it STRAIGHT. Pathetic response from a has-been.
Paul stocks
Oct 5, 2018 at 2:17 pm
Absolute arrogance as usual from the Americans
Why didn’t he play it in advance like Justin Thomas,why did furyk pick him ,both teams had to play the same course,,and the fact he said it’s the best team spirit he’s ever been in is the most worrying thing.
GolfGolfGolf
Oct 6, 2018 at 6:50 am
*American. Don’t generalize
Funkaholic
Oct 8, 2018 at 11:27 am
Ridiculous generalization, Phil is not all “Americans”, most of us don’t respect him and his antics. Typical, smug, uninformed European.
Meroo
Oct 9, 2018 at 4:02 am
Hey Funk,then you proceed to generalise about Euro’s. Hypocrite much?
William Davis
Oct 5, 2018 at 1:43 pm
He really should learn not to make comments like this. Makes him look very silly – again.