Phil Mickelson is doing his best to defy Father Time as he snagged another win at Pebble Beach on Monday morning. It was Phil’s fifth AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am title and his 44th PGA Tour win and maybe a bit more than that.
Phil the Thrill, who previously never met a Krispy Kreme he didn’t like has re-dedicated himself to a healthier lifestyle, dropped a few pounds, appears as supple as ever and it is paying off in wins for Lefty. Jettisoning the sugar and processed foods that make up so much of American’s diet has allowed Phil to drink from the Fountain of Youth.
We all started to write Phil off a few years back as he struggled to claim another win after his historic win at the ’13 Open Championship at Muirfield. It was five years before he could hoist another trophy but at last season’s WGC-Mexico Championship he put it together to break his skid.
Now, with a renewed body and positive attitude he has his ailments and swing under control. Phil has spoken about playing as long as his old bones allows and with his recent resurgence there’s no reason for him not to think he can’t carve out a few more wins.
But that is Phil. He always sees the shot no one else does. He likes to invent ways to get to the green that others never imagine. He rarely thinks he can’t make that impossible shot and always has a plan for his next win.
Many say this is a good omen for Phil to finally grab that first U.S. Open win this June at Pebble Beach. He’ll turn 50 then and he knows that the course will be so different come summer. Even Phil didn’t want to tempt the Golf Gods and acknowledged that will be a tough task.
Whether Phil can keep it up and take down Sam Snead and his record of winning a PGA Tour event at 52 years old may be a stretch. But not to Lefty. His long supple swing bodes well for his run at more wins and with that new body of his he may well challenge Snead.
Phil’s body will tell him when it is time to hang it up. But for now, that day looks well off into the future.
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