Anyone seen Phil Mickelson?

FOR all intents and purposes, it would seem to be an upset of epic proportions.

On the one hand, you have every legitimate reason to unplug the interest, from a saturated golf course that has few redeeming qualities, to the mountain-goat skills you need to traverse into it, to the stop-and-go action that has left it devoid of any sort of rhythm, to the excessive price-gouging, to the layers of waterproofs required, to the insufferably long games that seemingly compromise the integrity of the game.

So how is it that attendance at the Ryder Cup Matches has proven to once again be a rewarding experience? Perhaps because the event remains like no other in sports, played for pride, a priceless commodity.

Oh, there is no doubt that the international team competition is abused by the powers that be – the PGA of America on one side of the Atlantic, the European Tour on the other – all for the sake of financial gain. But if you allow yourself to look beyond that and to focus on the golf, appreciating the purity of match play and the nuances of foursomes, then it remains the grandest show in the game.

Too bad it comes along just once every two years? Well, to wish for more would be greedy, and to get a sense of just how special a Ryder Cup is, attend those Presidents Cups that are held every-other-year. Compared to the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup is like watching paint dry.

For three days, the storylines at the 38th Ryder Cup have revolved around the horrendous weather and how Celtic Manor has been no match for the steady rain. And when another round of steady rain greeted players Sunday morning and thus forced officials to extend the competition into Monday, the screams were loud and laced with venom. Mostly, they seemed to be directed at the American PGA Tour, as if they were responsible for this week’s excessive rain.

Nonsense.

Dates for the PGA Tour’s mega-rich FedEx Cup series were presented to Ryder Cup officials and they chose to work with them. Playing Oct. 1-3 was not out of the ordinary; Several times in the ‘50s and ‘60s the Ryder Cup was held in Britain in October. The problems with this year’s competition can be attached not to the date, but to the venue, for Celtic Manor sits so low in a valley and fast by a river that it hasn’t adequate drainage, certainly not like a majestic links.

So, sure, it’s been wet and cold and muddy and exasperatingly long, but perhaps the incomparable third-session of competition that concluded yesterday will help morph this year’s Ryder Cup into the memorable affair that so many of its predecessors have landed.

If for several days people couldn’t wait to leave Celtic Manor, that mood had to change on another day of cool, damp weather – at least for European loyalists. So overwhelming was the play of captain Colin Montgomerie’s team that it went from a 6-4 deficit to a 9½-6½ and stands on the threshold of reclaiming the coveted cup.

No question, if you support the cause of the Europeans, the highlights were many, from the continued brilliance of Lee Westwood to the uncanny consistency of Luke Donald to Miguel Angel Jimenez’s charm to Ian Poulter’s fire to the resiliency of those Molinari brothers.

Extend great praise, for going undefeated in an unprecedented six-game session is worthy stuff. But as always, there is a flip side tinted red, white, and blue and the concerns are plentiful, starting with Phil Mickelson. Just where has the lefthander been?

Riding into the competition as the world’s No. 2, Mickelson has barely been noticed at Celtic Manor and for that he needs to be held accountable. Provided with the powerful partner he asked for, Dustin Johnson, Mickelson lost in four-ball, then in foursomes. Provided with another young player he asked for, Rickie Fowler, Mickelson fell in four-ball again and now has lost more Ryder Cup matches (17) than anyone in US history.

Disturbing stuff, especially when you consider that he is now 2-12-3 in Ryder Cup play since 2004. For all the criticism that is directed at Tiger Woods, at least the world’s No. 1 has settled into some sort of Ryder Cup form, going 7-4 in his matches since 2004.

Several times in his match against Poulter and Martin Kaymer, Mickelson had a chance to seize control and lead Fowler to victory. He failed miserably, a four-foot putt missed at the eight, a three-putt at the 14th, and a wide seven-footer at the 15th the most damaging.

The weather has not been the worst part of this year’s Ryder Cup. Mickelson’s play has been.