Paul Azinger concerned Phil Mickelson can contend at Open

Phil Mickelson will be supported, mostly, say three former players turned TV analysts.

But Paul Azinger also thinks you’ll be watching the embattled star for only two days this week at the US Open.

“I predict that, if Phil’s missing the cut, like on a Friday afternoon or something, it can get pretty rough on him,” Azinger said as part of a pre-tournament teleconference for NBC, which will broadcast the event. “I just think – this is a big step these guys have made. They’ve probably changed the game forever. But I agree, he is so popular. … And people do forgive. If it’s Phil Mickelson – I’ve always loved Phil Mickelson. He’s always been great to my kids. I’ll always appreciate him for that.

“I don’t necessarily agree with everything he’s ever done, that’s for sure, but if he doesn’t get in contention, it would be a miracle, I really think. A minor miracle that a guy could get in contention with all that’s been going on. But we’ll cover it fairly, I’ll tell you that. ”

Of all the rich storylines this week – the historic venue (The Country Club), the wide-open field (Rory, Rahm, Spieth, Thomas, et al.), The stakes (it’s a major!) – none will likely be picked and prodded at more than Mickelson. Of course, that’s Mickelson and all that’s been swirling around him for the past four months or so, and not so much Mickelson the golfer. (Though you could imagine the six-time major champion finally completes the Grand Slam now??) Should you need a refresher, here’s a long sentence: Mickelson plotted to leave the PGA Tour, said some R-rated words about his potential new golf venture the new series last week – and is now heading to Brookline. (Whew.)

In his quote above, Azinger actually lays out the Phil stories within the Phil story – what sports fan, in sports-loving Boston, could be; how NBC will cover it; and whether Mickelson can actually contend – and let’s guide our conversation here. The cheers-or-jeers thought is no doubt a fascinating one. And the question obviously is this: How bulletproof is one of the most popular players of all time?

“Hey, that’s why we watch,” Azinger said on the teleconference.

Indeed.

“I think the response will be mostly positive because it has been a favorite for so many years,” Justin Leonard said. “But that Boston crowd, they’re going to let you know how they feel. Not everyone, but a lot of people in Boston, they like to attend only these sports, but they become active participants. I’m sure there will be some involvement by the fans in Boston, both positive and negative. ”

“We’ve had athletes throughout history and up in the world, but if they have success in their respective sports on the field, the public seems to be very forgiving with regard to that,” Notah Begay said. “I mean, look at Tiger Woods’ struggles off the golf course a number of times, and he seems to have forgotten when he became the Masters champion back in 2019.…

“Phil’s always been one of the favorite among spectators, and he feeds off that energy. That might not be the case starting out. … If he doesn’t get in contention Saturday, Sunday, I think that will all shift behind Phil. But initially, not everyone is going to be a hundred percent supportive.

“As Justin stated, they will speak their mind.”

As for the coverage, twice during the teleconference, NBC producer Tommy Roy and announcer Dan Hicks said the broadcast would not be broadcast from Mickelson, or any other 14 golfers in the Open field who are also associated with the Saudi-backed LIV Invitational Series, the aforementioned golf league startup. Notably, golf’s other main broadcaster, CBS, tackled the subject for the first time during its Saturday broadcast of the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open – Nick Faldo’s analyst bashed the format and players, while announcer Jim Nantz said he felt “betrayal” – and Hicks may have offered a preview of what to do this week with NBC when he said: that. But at the same time, I’m so looking forward to getting the focus back, even for just a week, if we can get everybody away from all this talk, for what makes the game great. ”

So back to the golf then. Can Mickelson contend?

Here, at least, are the facts: At last week’s LIV Series event, Mickelson shot one-under 69, 75 and 76 and tied for 33rd in the 48-man field. In the four tournaments he played this season on the PGA Tour, Mickelson tied for 36th, tied for 30th and missed two cuts.

Then again, you probably didn’t win the PGA Championship last May, either.

Love him or hate him, Mickelson is box office.

“I’m really more curious where his game is, just because he hasn’t played competitively in so long,” Leonard said on the teleconference. “US Open tests with a thick roughness, it’s got a lot of success at US Opens, and it’s certainly going to be a great story if it’s not in contention, but it’s going to require a lot of skills always shine with striking fairways and be extremely strategic in that sense.

“So I think we’re all curious to see how he plays and how he’s received.”

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Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his role, he is responsible for editing, writing and developing stories across the golf space. And when he’s not writing about ways to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native probably plays the game, hitting the ball left, right and short, and drinking a cold beer to wash away his score. You can reach out to any of these topics – his stories, his game or his beers – at nick.piastowski@golf.com.