An open letter to Phil Mickelson
Dear Phil,
How are Amy and the kids? I saw that you are looking to sell the Rancho Santa Fe house. I hope you didn't get caught up in the credit crunch. Although the remnants of Hurricane Ike blew through Kentucky and made a mess of Valhalla, crews are hard at work making repairs for you and your teammates.
Speaking of the Ryder Cup, a lot of people are saying that this is the strongest European team ever, and that the Americans are bigger underdogs than Troy at Ohio State. But instead of worrying about getting trounced again, American golf fans from sea to shining sea are hoping that you look at this Ryder Cup as a potentially career-defining week. Here are three reasons why this is a great opportunity for you:
1. This Ryder Cup could save you season. You're the second-ranked player in the world, and after Tiger Woods went down with his knee injury, everyone thought you would become the BMOC. Instead, you've been MIA. Almost any other player would call a season that included wins at Colonial and Riviera a success, but you're not Jay Williamson, Marco Dawson or J.P. Hayes—you're Phil The Thrill! We expect more from you, and we know that you expect more from yourself. Light it up at Valhalla and you can finish your 2008 campaign on a high note.
2. The United States needs a 'Mr. Ryder Cup.' Walter Hagan went 7-1-1 when playing in the Ryder Cup. Arnold Palmer was 22-8-2, Jack Nicklaus was 17-8-3, Lee Trevino was 17-7-6 and Hale Irwin was 13-5-2. These players not only won majors, they dominated in the Ryder Cup.
In your generation, there hasn't been a Ryder Cup stud that the United States could depend on. Europe always knew it would get a great performance from Seve Ballesteros, Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke. Sergio Garcia always brings his best game to the Ryder Cup too.
If you start a run of great Ryder Cup play this week, your legend will grow even if you never win a fourth major.
3. This is a chance for you to outshine Tiger. EA Sports doesn't make a Phil Mickelson video game. You don't have your own Gatorade flavors. The press doesn't get alerted about what clothing you'll be wearing at Augusta. But if you win four points and lead the United States to an upset win, you'll be a bigger star than Tiger. At least for a day or two.
Good luck!
Posted by: Chad Dukes | Sep 16, 2008 6:46:56 PM
You aren't serious about Phil, are you Norton? Phil's never been a team player because he's been too obsessed with himself. We need a real team player.
Posted by: Norton Goodyear | Sep 15, 2008 7:51:50 PM
Upon reading this open letter to Phil, I applaude the writer. I am in agreement and that Phil has squandered more than a few opportunities since the US Open and should do some quick soul searching and find that player within himself that has won over 30 tour events and won a US Amatuer and a PGA Tour event as an Amatuer. I hope he can find a spark or flame to propel himself to be a player to prove to the Europeans, "not in my house". Be a leader and show us what you are made of.
Posted by: You | Sep 15, 2008 7:31:54 PM
The one thing I don't like is that there really is no "Mr. Ryder Cup" for the Americans. Yet. There's no one with a golden record that loves the Ryder Cup. However, this year, there are rookies who can make this competition their own, and establish themselves as the "Mr. Ryder Cup" we've been looking for. Phil? He's not the guy. He doesn't have that killer instinct or the intensity. The most intensity I've seen from Phil would either be the gravity-defying leap at the '04 Masters or the grunts he makes when he misses a shot. I'd look at someone like Anthony Kim to be a breakthrough in this Ryder Cup. He exhibits one characteristic that Tiger exhibits: he wants to beat you badly, and prove you wrong. He wants to show how good he already is, and the potential to even get better. Anthony doesn't mince his words, but lets his game do the talking. He wants to be the giant killer, the man that takes down the BMOC. Anthony has that intensity in my mind to prove himself as a superstar at the Ryder Cup. Seeing a potential Garcia vs. Kim matchup on Sunday, given their friendly rivalry and their intensity, will set the Kentucky crowd on fire. People want to see a huge match, and it's not going to come from Mickelson vs. Harrington or something. We're talking about a man from Spain that has Ryder Cup competition in his veins, that's 14-3-3 for his career, and he's still in his twenties. We're talking matador, a player with the killer instinct to put you away even at your best, a guy that can show you how good he really is. Put Anthony Kim up next to him, and it'll be nothing but electricity. Garcia vs. Kim will be a match I'd pay money for, to put it that way. And the thing is, because of their intensity, they're going to push each other to the limit of what they can do. And in Anthony Kim does very well in his matches, and gets a golden record, the Sunday matchup between the two would be nothing short of a pay-per-view. It'll be a battle of two champions: one that is an elite competitor in this venue, and the other ready to prove he has the game to compete with the best man at the tournament. "To be the man, you got to beat the man." Let's see if Anthony can do it this Sunday.