monday recap: fulphilled
What an Easter Sunday to remember! If you did not catch it, you missed one of the greatest showdowns the PGA Tour has seen. What was most impressive on the back 9 at Augusta was that two world class players, Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els, played pretty much flawless golf, matching each other birdie for birdie (or 4 Mickelson birdies for 2 Els eagles). The intense drama was made all the more riveting by K.J. Choi’s eagle on the 11th from 210 out, and then Padraig Harrington’s and Kirk Triplett’s consecutive hole-in-one’s on the 16th. By the loud roars of the patrons at Augusta, it seemed as though something spectacular was happening every minute.
But what made this Sunday most special was Phil’s first major win. After Arnie’s poignant farewell on Friday, Phil made a masterful (re-)introduction as one of the top and most popular golfers in the world.
Phil looks a man who is now completely fulphilled. To see him with his kids and wife Amy after the round was uplifting. After a dismal year on the tour in 2003 during which his wife and newborn son survived a difficult, life-threatening delivery, Phil has taken 2004 with the confidence and calm of someone who has seen the bad days and come out a better man for it. Phil’s withstood so much criticism and scrutiny from the press for his aggressive style of play in the past, and has worn the moniker of “best player not to win a major” ever since Duval won his. Well, those days are over, or at least passed on to to the likes of Sergio (who shot a remarkable 66 yesterday, the lowest round of the tournament).
We at The Golf Blog want to congratulate Phil Mickelson for his fabulous performance. Dave Pelz says you’ll have 3 majors by the end of 2005, so see you at Shinnecock!
