When Jim Furyk wanted a big name for his first-time Champions Tour event, he gave reigning PGA champion Phil Mickelson a call.
It was bad news for the rest of the hopefuls in the first time “Furyk And Friends” event at the Timuquana Golf Club outside Jacksonville as Mickelson out-dueled Miguel Angel Jimenez over the last four holes to make it three wins in four senior appearances.
It was an interesting Sunday afternoon as Lefty and Miguel basically pulled away from the rest of the field. The two were tied at 13-under heading to the very reachable par five 15th where Jimenez saw his second come up just short while Mickelson pumped a beautiful six-iron to 10-feet for a potential eagle. Jimenez then hit a sub-standard pitch and settled for par while Mickelson just missed the eagle, made a three-footer for birdie and took a one-shot lead.
Phil had an interesting brush with the rules at the par four 16th where he missed the fairway left (he struggled with his tee ball accuracy most of the round) and found his ball surrounded by a number of pine cones. He moved a few, including one about a foot-and-a-half from his ball. As Mickelson stood over the ball before his shot, the ball moved. After a discussion with a rules official, it was Mickelson’s call and he deemed that he did not cause the ball to move. Head rules official Brian Claar walked with Mickelson as he saved par at 16, heading to 17 to tell Lefty that after television review — he was totally in the clear.
Both Mickelson and Jimenez parred the 17th. Both found the fairway at 18. Jimenez didn’t make great contact with his approach and left himself 40 feet from the cup while Mickelson cruised a soft nine-iron from 134 yards out and stopped it inside of 10 feet. Jimenez made a great run at his birdie, narrowly missing. Mickelson then calmly sank his for a closing 68 and his 15-under par total for the 54 holes was good for a two-shot win over the Spaniard.
Steve Flesch (10-under) was the only other player to hit double digits under par and he finished solo third.
“I really enjoyed it,” Mickelson said as he’s won three of the four senior events he’s played in. “I enjoy playing out here (Champions Tour).” He was also complimentary of Jimenez. “He played some really good golf. He made a great up-and-down on 13 and the shot on 14 was really impressive. That par three, that’s a hard pin, it rolls left of the pin, right of the pin. He just stuck it in there tight and wouldn’t go away,” Mickelson said about Jimenez. “I was appreciative that I was able to birdie two coming in and come out on top, but it was a tough day.”
As for Jimenez, he knew he had his hand full. “On the back nine we’ve been there close, close, close, tie, and he make a birdie on the 15th, but I was close. Then chance for birdie on 17, that’s the game, you know? He’s playing very well,” Jimenez said.
Mickelson also credited Furyk and wife Tabitha for the charity work they do in the Jacksonville area. “Jim and Tabitha are wo of the best people in golf,” he added.
Lefty will venture back out to the Champions Tour in two weeks to defend his title in Richmond.
5 Comments
baxter cepeda
Between Langer inching closer to Irwin and Phil already showing signs of some day passing both those great men; the champions tour is getting really fun to watch.
Also the most interesting man in golf was really impressive; his short game; his short putting is a thing of beauty.
If it wasn’t for MAJ not getting away with that one sloppy chip And Lefty getting away with that sloppy pine tree cleanup, the Spaniard should and could have won.
The coverage touted everything was handled well by Phil and the officials but I’m not 100 on how all that transpired. Phil’s needling around very likely led to the ball eventually moving. Lefty moved cones a foot or so away but he also picked at smaller things that were basically touching the ball. He took the cleanup a bit too far IMO.
I would have LOVED to see Phil call one stroke on himself and show awareness to place the ball back so as not to get 2 strokes. If he did that it would have been a great story; and if Phil still went on to win it would have been legendary.
But instead he did what happens more often these days: he argued smartly and thanks to today’s head scratching, gray area riddled rules of golf; the super star got what he wanted; exactly what gray rules are bound to do.
Not taking anything away from Phil; but just because all these people whom are very tied to each other (players, officials, media) say ‘nothing to see here’ does not mean this isn’t an issue to take a closer look at.
Tom Edrington
Head official for Champions Tour is Brian Claar, a University of Tampa guy who played the Tour for quite a while; Great guy; They reviewed the entire thing on television monitor from time Phil got to the ball and Brian told him on the walk from 16 green to 17 tee that everything was fine; That’s after careful review……the ball didn’t move until well after Phil had removed a pine cone that was at least a foot away from the ball, simply standing on pine straw near the ball can cause it to move….Phil didn’t cause the ball to move, I’m pretty sure of what I saw and the Tour officials concurred after looking at it themselves….not sure how much Senior golf Phil will play, I think Irwin’s number is 44….that’s a lot, this has three, he’d have to go out there full-time….I don’t think Lefty’s gonna do that….
baxter cepeda
I know what I saw.
I know many of Phil’s contemporaries would not accept anything but penalizing themselves in that situation.
I know rules officials are nice and competent people no matter where they are from.
I know there is something in the new rules that made the interpretation of Leftys ruling justified.
I know the pga tour has a pretty soft backbone enforcing penalties on its stars. You can literally count the number of rules infractions that have been called in the history of all the tours combined in ONE hand.
I know the new rules leave a lot of room for interpretation; and it’s only natural some players will get favorable interpretations (Phil) and other won’t (Patrick).
Again, I encourage you to review the video again because phil did not just touch pine cones a foot away; he clearly touched things that were touching the ball itself.
I don’t know How to interpret that delay between moving things and the ball moving. It’s confusing these days; but in the old days it was clearly a penalty every time.
In fact The tv guys immediately called it a penalty. They clearly didn’t want to question the ruling after. The TV guys didn’t even try to justify the ruling too much either, they just seemed to kind of move on while quietly scratching their heads.
Anyhow…
Phil regularly discusses how much he loves competing. I expect him to play the regular tour as long as he can, and the senior tour more and more. I expect Lefty to enjoy the champions tour long after he is done competing regularly on the regular tour; similar to Mr Palmer.
I know Irwin’s record is one of the best in golf. And I know Phil has the ability to beat it.
Tom Edrington
I’m going with what Brian Claar said, I know him personally; I still believe Phil doesn’t want to spend that much time on the senior tour…..not enough time to win 44 or more times….I think at some point Lefty finds a spot in the broadcast booth…
baxter cepeda
I’m with your boo too Tom.
I’m disputing the new rules —fittingly on the day the usga cut 2 inches off some golfers shafts— which allow this to be correctly deemed not a penalty.
Phil diddles around and his ball shifted. It is what it is.
In the end No one did anything wrong —same as Patrick Reed — but Like I said before many pro golfers would call a penalty on themselves there and not accept any different.
This reminds me of the final hole of “legend of Bagger Vance” when good people were trying to give MattDamon justification for not calling a penalty when his ball moved but he insisted it was.