Upbeat Mickelson faces test of character

MANY Irish people, and especially the ladies, have unhappy memories of Phil Mickelson’s visit to Portmarnock in 1991.

The occasion was the Walker Cup and though still an amateur, the gifted left-hander was already a big name in the world of golf.

So when he made a politically incorrect remark about the women of Ireland, it went down like the proverbial lead balloon. That was 12 years ago and Phil has long since forgotten the furore his unfortunate remarks caused. But he still remembers the course that introduced him to links golf, a form of the game he has loved ever since.