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"But the second last year at (Royal) St. George's reinforced some of the work we'd been doing and now, the worse the conditions, the more conservative his game gets. If Phil is going to win one of these," Harmon added, "it will be because he's playing them a lot differently from the way he used to."
Mickelson's play on links courses is hardly the only thing that's changed during his career. He won a PGA Tour event as a 21-year-old amateur, but another 13 years passed before Mickelson won his first major. There's no way to know how many more he might have won had Tiger Woods not come along to dominate what should have been Mickelson's prime. And yet, you could argue he's aged more gracefully than his grandest rival and last year, according to Forbes magazine, even put more money in the bank.
He's also part of a group bidding to buy his hometown baseball team, and not just because he loves throwing the ball around and perhaps has designs on becoming the Padres' batting-practice pitcher.
"There were a number of reasons. But I really like the people I'm involved with," Mickelson said. "And I think they're just as competitive as I am."
The quick smile and swashbuckling style have been tempered by his recent battle with psoriatic arthritis, as well as those of his wife and mother against breast cancer. That competitive edge, though, hasn't been dulled.
"It's important as a player to be able to keep your mind on the task at hand when you're on the golf course and not let it waver," he said. "Certainly for a couple of years it was difficult to do. But right now, you know, everybody is doing great. I mean, my wife and mom are doing terrific. They're just really in a good spot. My health has been really good. ...
"I feel like there's no reason," he said, "that I shouldn't be able to play some of my best golf."
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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