Armed with a new Phrankenwood (or is it three?) Phil Mickelson is creating a run on the Wells Fargo Championship. Phil has in no way gained here in North Carolina -- he came near in the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, the one he misplaced to Payne Stewart -- but here he is, tied for the lead going into the very last spherical.
For some time there it appeared like he become going to run away from the field. Then he hit one out-of-bounds on 15 for a double-bogey and introduced a bogey on 16. Even with all that -- capturing 1 for the day -- he nonetheless managed to tie Nick Watney for the lead. (Watney published his personal double at 17.)
But became this just a case of Phil going wild? It does not seem like it. Here's a link to the transcript of the interview Phil did after his spherical. He did speak about making some errors, but take a look at a couple of those excerpts -- first, a part of an in advance solution:
But I grinded it out. I felt like this can be a very last spherical deal where we're getting so much rain tomorrow and Monday that we might not be capable of play. Much like after I received at BellSouth in the playoff when we were given to the last spherical or , it rained out. We ended up looking to get a par?3 that became playable and play a playoff, and there is a superb risk we might have that. So I turned into grinding it accessible despite the fact that I did not have my A?Recreation coming down the stretch simply to be on pinnacle of the lead or tied for the lead in case that takes place.And then he went into more detail:
Q. Did these days feel like it could perhaps be a final spherical for you?
PHIL MICKELSON: Absolutely it did. I was grinding it out coming down the stretch because there is a high likelihood that we don't play tomorrow. And it reminds me of when we had a rain out at BellSouth in Atlanta years ago, and they just made a par‑3 somewhat playable. We went out and had a playoff, and I was fortunate enough to win. I thought there was a good chance we might have that scenario again if the weather comes in like it's supposed to today and the forecast is as bad on Monday. And as if that wasn't enough:
Q. You're form of gambling the give up of the round there like it is the final spherical?
PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, I really was. I was leaking oil too and made some mistakes. But there is a high likelihood we don't get the final round in with the weather coming in tomorrow and Monday, and a good chance that we'll end up having a one‑hole playoff. You have to be prepared for both scenarios. But it was important that putt on the last hole to be tied for the lead because if the last round is rained out at least I still have a chance. "There is a high likelihood that we don't play tomorrow." That storm Phil referred to looks to be a pretty big one. Everybody in my neighborhood -- a couple of hours north of Charlotte -- was out mowing lawns Saturday because of all the rain predicted here, starting today and continuing through tomorrow. According to weather.com, the temperature is going to drop into the 50s, there's an 80% chance of rain today and a stiff wind in the 20mph range is going to come up as well.
The Tour is taking it seriously. According to this post by PGATOUR.com's Helen Ross, groups are being sent out very early -- to quote, "Players will be sent off Nos. 1 and 10, and Mickelson, Watney and McNeill will bring up the rear at 8:46 a.m. ET." That may not be enough, since weather.com's hourly forecasts say the rain could start around 7am ET.
So is Phil right? We'll need to see. But it certainly looks like modern-day spherical ought to get rained out... And if it does, Phil simply might grow to be the fave. I'd certain like his chances in a playoff.
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