‘Phil the Thrill’ a man in the mould of Arnold Palmer

Phil Mickelson plays in a manner that suggests he is always prepared to give his all, even when it is a hopeless cause, writes John McHenry.

It didn’t take long to get an understanding as to how Augusta National was going to play yesterday. Although the weather forecast had called cool and windy conditions for later in the day, you could see that the world’s best golfers were palpably relieved to be starting at the scheduled time and on a soft course. Although longer, soft courses almost always promote greater aggression.

Around Augusta, that is especially true as the players no longer have to unduly worry about the bounce or the roll-out of the ball. Power becomes a greater factor but so too does the ability to control the trajectory and spin of the ball.