Okay Phil, You've Won
Phil Mickelson is the 2006 Masters champion, and as much as I can't believe I'm going to say this, I am very happy for the guy.
Lefty has long been one of my least favorite athletes for many reasons. That cheesy grin that never seems to leave his face. Triple bogey, eagle, Vijay's spike marks; it never leaves. That country club air about him. The clean cut (until recently), visor-wearing look that forces you to remember just who it is golf at a place like Augusta is really for. On top of that I am a die-hard Tiger fan and I never like to see my guy go down, especially to Mr. Grinny.
But something happened yesterday during Phil's march toward his second green jacket, I found myself pulling for a guy I've rooted against for so long. Why was this happening? Had I completely lost it? Had Tiger's pink shirt (seriously Tiger, get back to the red already) blinded me to the point that I had to pull for anyone wearing black? I asked myself these questions, and the only answer I could come up with was no. In fact it was completely the opposite. As Tiger and the rest of the field slipped too far back to mount a charge I started to appreciate Lefty and the genius of his game. I didn't pay attention to the stupid grin, I saw past the unbearable lily white-ness of his being. All I could see was his game, and damn he has a lot of it.
Gone was the Phil that choked down the stretch. Gone was the Phil who seemed to always miss key putts and make the big mistake. Instead, the "old Phil" was replaced with a guy who boldly carried two drivers in order to hit perfectly shaped bombs off the tee at the perpetually growing Augusta National Golf Club. A guy who you knew was going to make good decisions and sink clutch putts. It was becoming clear. I was pulling for a guy that I knew deserved to win because of the substance of his talent, and in spite of all the qualities that caused me to root against him in the past. As he tapped in for bogey and the win I could only watch and smile. In the past I probably would have shut the thing off before he even got to the 18th hole, bemoaning Tiger's inability to make any putts. This time however I wanted to see the guy win and hug those ridiculously cute kids of his. I even wanted to see my guy slip the green jacket on the new champ. I could finally see why those blue collar, New York fans at Bethpage pulled so hard for the guy back at the 2002 U.S. Open. While I think it was mostly because he's not Tiger and people like to pull for someone other than the favorite, I understand. It's not about who he is, it's about what he is. A great golfer, who for all his faults plays an entertaining style of golf, period.
Then he did it, he sealed the deal on my newfound respect for and outlook on Phil Mickelson. As he stood in front of the people and received the green jacket from Tiger he took the mic and began to thank those closest to him (he did forget to mention his caddy, but I'll forgive him this time). Once he had thanked all those who deserved it, he turned his attention to an issue that he had no obligation to, he addressed Earl Woods. In one of the biggest moments of his career, Phil took time to ask the patrons of Augusta National to pray for Tiger's dad who has been fighting cancer for several years. He acknowledged the importance of family and parents in the lives of their children and their development, and Phil found time in his champions speech to give a nod to the job done by Mr. Woods. He wrapped up his speech and sat down next to the number one player in the world. Phil tapped Tiger on the leg, Tiger returned the gesture in appreciation of Phil's compassionate remarks. In maybe the classiest move I've ever seen in a moment like that, Phil won himself a new fan. All I can say is well done Lefty, well done.
Lefty has long been one of my least favorite athletes for many reasons. That cheesy grin that never seems to leave his face. Triple bogey, eagle, Vijay's spike marks; it never leaves. That country club air about him. The clean cut (until recently), visor-wearing look that forces you to remember just who it is golf at a place like Augusta is really for. On top of that I am a die-hard Tiger fan and I never like to see my guy go down, especially to Mr. Grinny.
But something happened yesterday during Phil's march toward his second green jacket, I found myself pulling for a guy I've rooted against for so long. Why was this happening? Had I completely lost it? Had Tiger's pink shirt (seriously Tiger, get back to the red already) blinded me to the point that I had to pull for anyone wearing black? I asked myself these questions, and the only answer I could come up with was no. In fact it was completely the opposite. As Tiger and the rest of the field slipped too far back to mount a charge I started to appreciate Lefty and the genius of his game. I didn't pay attention to the stupid grin, I saw past the unbearable lily white-ness of his being. All I could see was his game, and damn he has a lot of it.
Gone was the Phil that choked down the stretch. Gone was the Phil who seemed to always miss key putts and make the big mistake. Instead, the "old Phil" was replaced with a guy who boldly carried two drivers in order to hit perfectly shaped bombs off the tee at the perpetually growing Augusta National Golf Club. A guy who you knew was going to make good decisions and sink clutch putts. It was becoming clear. I was pulling for a guy that I knew deserved to win because of the substance of his talent, and in spite of all the qualities that caused me to root against him in the past. As he tapped in for bogey and the win I could only watch and smile. In the past I probably would have shut the thing off before he even got to the 18th hole, bemoaning Tiger's inability to make any putts. This time however I wanted to see the guy win and hug those ridiculously cute kids of his. I even wanted to see my guy slip the green jacket on the new champ. I could finally see why those blue collar, New York fans at Bethpage pulled so hard for the guy back at the 2002 U.S. Open. While I think it was mostly because he's not Tiger and people like to pull for someone other than the favorite, I understand. It's not about who he is, it's about what he is. A great golfer, who for all his faults plays an entertaining style of golf, period.
Then he did it, he sealed the deal on my newfound respect for and outlook on Phil Mickelson. As he stood in front of the people and received the green jacket from Tiger he took the mic and began to thank those closest to him (he did forget to mention his caddy, but I'll forgive him this time). Once he had thanked all those who deserved it, he turned his attention to an issue that he had no obligation to, he addressed Earl Woods. In one of the biggest moments of his career, Phil took time to ask the patrons of Augusta National to pray for Tiger's dad who has been fighting cancer for several years. He acknowledged the importance of family and parents in the lives of their children and their development, and Phil found time in his champions speech to give a nod to the job done by Mr. Woods. He wrapped up his speech and sat down next to the number one player in the world. Phil tapped Tiger on the leg, Tiger returned the gesture in appreciation of Phil's compassionate remarks. In maybe the classiest move I've ever seen in a moment like that, Phil won himself a new fan. All I can say is well done Lefty, well done.
posted by Adam J. Doctolero at
10:15 PM
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