Phil Mickelson gets it. As my senior managing editor suggested after Mickelson’s victory at The Players, Phil is becoming one of the more likable pros on the tour. Why? Because unlike many of the drones who follow the sun and chase the millions of dollars each week, Phil actually engages with the fans. Did you see him trading high fives and smiles during the Saturday and Sunday rounds? Did you see him handing golf balls to little kids in the gallery? Do you recall any other pros doing the same? I don’t. Most of the time, the tour pros look like they just visited the proctologist. Forget about acknowledging the fans save for a rudimentary tip of the cap here or a little wave there. Mickelson is accused in some circles of being a phony, putting on a fake smile. But the reality is that Phil comes from the Arnold Palmer school – he interacts with the galleries, hands out balls and gloves, and, gasp! Signs autographs. It’s refreshing and Phil’s fellow pros would do well to follow his lead.
Hitting range balls while wondering whatever happened to Bobby Cole.
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All golf all the time with reflections on the game of golf including the PGA Tour, the USGA, golf on television, golf equipment and more.
About Me
- Mr. Fairway
- Mr. Fairway’s love affair with the game of golf began in junior high. He once made his living as a journalist covering high school sports, cops and robbers and politics. Today, Mr. Fairway is a public relations consultant and a widely-published freelance golf writer. His current USGA handicap index is 9.3 and he averages 50-plus rounds a year.