Natural amphitheater: the 18th hole at Riviera. (McCoy/Flickr)
HORSES FOR COURSES. Phil Mickelson likes Riviera. The Poa annua greens and kikuya grass that give other players fits do not unnerve the boy who grew up in Southern California.
Phil fired a 9-under 62 on Saturday at the Northern Trust Open, one stroke off the course record set by Ted Tryba in 1999. This after a first-round 63. Lefty is on a roll at Hogan’s Alley.
Can he hang on to his four-shot advantage in Sunday’s final round?
“Every shot is critical,” Phil said. “But the key for me tomorrow is going to be playing a good, solid round. I need to hit the ball like I did today. I need to roll it like I did today. And if I can shoot a number, I’ll be very hard to catch.”
Phil will play with Andres Romero and 49-year-old Fred Couples, who is five shots back and hopes to go low and snag one more win in his last hurrah on the PGA Tour.
−The Armchair Golfer
If he keeps his swing under control, no one is going to catch him. If he reverts to what he seemingly does best -snatching defeat from the jaws of victory -it’ll just be another Aw Phil day. Whether he wins or loses, I love listening to him answer questions during an interview. He gives superb answers to mostly stupid questions and that’s hard to do.
Very interesting article, i have bookmarked your blog for future referrence
Another exciting finish for Phil. And, fortunately, a win.