Lefty looks all right as slam bid takes shape

Chasing historic feats makes up a huge chunk of his iconic golf persona. Meeting with law enforcement officials as part of a criminal investigation is a sliver of his curious enigma.

Good Phil. Perplexing Phil. They are roads that intersected in the lead-up to the 114th US Open, though Mickelson has understandably tried to deflect attention from one to put focus on the other. The fact he was recently approached by FBI agents as part of an investigation into inside trading is no longer something he feels compelled to talk about, insisting that he issued a statement and will let that topic rest, for now.

As for his pursuit of the career grand slam, Mickelson is all in. You want to know his thoughts, he’s available. Quite proud of what he’s accomplished already (three Masters, one British Open, one USPGA) , the left-hander knows he could join an illustrious group of giants who have won all four of golf’s Majors — Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods.

It requires a victory in the US Open, of course, and in that quest Mickelson is off to a solid start. Though he bogeyed a pair of par-3s and was frustrated by a wild drive and a bogey at his 17th hole, the par-4 eighth, Mickelson seemed to pretty much script a favourable start, a level-par 70 that had him just two off the morning lead when he concluded.

The smile that Mickelson wore in pulsating heat probably wasn’t in response to his round, which could have been neater, but to the fact that play had finally begun and he could put all the tiresome speculative talk behind him.

It was no longer about how he might play as it was about how he did perform and, like so many of his colleagues, Mickelson much prefers questions about birdies and bogeys to those about how he may or may not have arrived at buying a stock before selling it for a handsome profit.

Mickelson’s pursuit of the career grand slam is one that never figured to be entertained. Oh, he had won a trio of green jackets and that 2005 triumph at Baltusrol had landed his name on the Wanamaker Trophy, but when it came to the British Open, Lefty was a 10m yacht without wind. He looked great, but you had little faith in his forward progress. Hit the ball too high, wouldn’t bench the flop shot, had no feel for keeping the ball on the ground.

Nineteen times Mickelson teed it up in the oldest championship and only twice did he threaten to win. Hardly the production one would expect of a Hall of Famer, yet that was Mickelson’s resume... until last July and that magical Sunday at Muirfield.

He closed with a sparkling 66, overcame a five-stroke deficit, and hoisted the Claret Jug, much to even his own shock.

Barely had his return trip across the pond started when the realisation hit Mickelson that he could take into Pinehurst No 2 the notion of winning the US Open and completing the career grand slam.

For months, Mickelson talked openly of his embrace of such a challenge and the reason was simple: Crazy as it is, of the four Major championships, the one that he had stalked with the most frequency is the one he hadn’t won.

The US Open.

Six times Mickelson has been a runner-up, a record that comes with a dubious flavour, and as he approaches his 44th birthday on Monday he knows the chances are dwindling. With wildcard venues on the horizon (Chambers Bay in 2015, Erin Hills in 2017), Mickelson was thrilled that 2014 afforded him a chance to play at Pinehurst No 2, a stage on which he came within 15 feet of getting into a play-off in 1999. Payne Stewart seized that unforgettable US Open with the final stroke of the tournament, but not yet 30, Mickelson figured to get many more chances.

He has. He just hasn’t cashed in.

Ah, but resiliency is his most valuable commodity and so here he is again, chasing the one championship that has always ignited the fires within. Mickelson conceded he squandered chances on a day for good scoring. “Had an early tee time and the greens were soft,” he said. But at the same time, he thrived in an arena filled with fans who seemingly are determined to carry him into the history books.

“I love it. I really am appreciative of the support,” Mickelson said, and while you may think it’s his last chance, he respectfully and wholeheartedly disagrees. “I do still have 100% confidence that I’ll be able to break through and get [a US Open win].”

In other words, his permission is granted to commission a sculpture of his bust alongside Sarazen, Hogan, Player, Nicklaus, and Woods.