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Why Phil Mickleson should apologize then withdraw from the U.S. Open
ESPN.com ^ | Ian O'Connor

Posted on 06/16/2018 5:25:51 PM PDT by Hebrews 11:6

I'm sorry.

Those are the first two words Phil Mickelson should say publicly Sunday morning after a fitful night of sleep.

I withdraw.

Those are the next words Mickelson should say on his way out of the U.S. Open and into a better and brighter tomorrow.

Mickelson made a mockery of his sport's national championship on his 48th birthday, and he should now do the honorable thing and remove himself from the tournament.

He hit his moving ball out of frustration on the 13th green at Shinnecock Hills, and then told a counterfeit tale about his intent. Mickelson said he took a strategic whack at his rolling putt as it headed downhill to accept the two-stroke penalty rather than risk playing the ball conventionally and taking a score more damaging than the 10 he posted on the par 4.


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: golf; pga; usga
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To: CopperTop

“But everyone is playing the same course even with it’s changes over the course of a day. “

How can you say it is the same course when it changes through the course of the day to conditions that made it unplayable for the guys teeing off later.

Even the USGA official stated similar.


61 posted on 06/16/2018 6:42:32 PM PDT by TexasGator (Z1)
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To: RetiredArmy
All they needed to play this course was a driver, 5 iron, sand wedge, and a weedeater.

It's the greens too. If you are not in the right position with respect to the hole location, you are ****ed. That is if you can even get the ball to stop on the green on your approach.

62 posted on 06/16/2018 6:43:45 PM PDT by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: CopperTop

“If nothing else it’s been grand entertainment! d:^) “

Sorry. A good golf course does not penalize good shots.


63 posted on 06/16/2018 6:44:27 PM PDT by TexasGator (Z1)
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To: Eddie01

His grip was slippery.


64 posted on 06/16/2018 6:46:53 PM PDT by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: proxy_user
I wanted them to talk about the golfers who are in contention this week, and not worry about the players who were good 15 or 20 years ago.

Phil is still good. Maybe not this week - this course has been a very severe test for many players. Rickie Fowler shot eleven-over today! But Mickelson has already won once this year.

65 posted on 06/16/2018 6:50:26 PM PDT by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: CopperTop
And how much has Phil done for the game over his life?

A lot!

66 posted on 06/16/2018 6:53:13 PM PDT by Rummyfan (In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.)
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To: jazusamo

Why I should pay any attention to Ian O’Connor with ESPN (yes that crap place) who is a writer who did not compete at the professional or major college level in any sport, I cannot imagine.


67 posted on 06/16/2018 6:55:58 PM PDT by KC Burke (If all the world is a stage, I would like to request my lighting be adjusted.)
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To: RetiredArmy

“I have never seen a golf course so unfair to the players.”

That’s the type of courses played for the US Open. The course is 7,440 yards and the roughs are brutal. Since every one has to face the same conditions, it is actually pretty fair. I don’t care if a golfer shoots a 66 or an 86. If the champion tomorrow wins with a +7, why should I or anyone else care.

I play a few times a year and I usually win with a +25. So really, I like it when these guys are humbled.


68 posted on 06/16/2018 7:00:43 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (Proud member of the DWN party. (Deplorable Wing Nut))
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To: Hebrews 11:6

Wheni thought Curtis did a good interview. Though questions to the point.


69 posted on 06/16/2018 7:03:13 PM PDT by TBall
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To: EQAndyBuzz

“Since every one has to face the same conditions, it is actually pretty fair.”

LOL, that is NOT what the announcers, the players and the USGA official said about today ...


70 posted on 06/16/2018 7:05:49 PM PDT by TexasGator (Z1)
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To: Rummyfan

I shoulda put some more stickum on that. It’s my fault.


71 posted on 06/16/2018 7:06:59 PM PDT by Eddie01
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To: TexasGator
"How can you say it is the same course when it changes through the course of the day to conditions that made it unplayable for the guys teeing off later."

There's a term in golf that applies. It's called "Rub of the green." It is impossible for a golf course to remain in identical condition all day long, what with grass growth, spike marks, and yes, weather changes. Sometimes you get great conditions, other times you have to play in the worst conditions. This morning and this afternoon were perfect examples of that.

As the great Peter Aliss says: "Bad luck has to start somewhere."

72 posted on 06/16/2018 7:10:39 PM PDT by Henchster (Free Republic - the BEST site on the web!)
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To: TexasGator

Yep, the course is awful and the USGA as usual is doing a terrible job of putting on the national championship.

The greens are 10 different shades of brown and green, and idiots are yelling in the gallery. I notice Dustin Johnson had to whistle at some moron walking in front of the tee. Terrible crowd control on top of everything else.


73 posted on 06/16/2018 7:14:03 PM PDT by Moonman62 (Give a man a fish and he'll be a Democrat. Teach a man to fish and he'll be a responsible citizen.)
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To: Hebrews 11:6; All
Why Phil Mickleson should apologize then withdraw from the U.S. Open

Partner, I agree with this statement since I do play and love the great game of golf and I do follow the rules.

Partner, my little brother who is a scratch golfer will all of a sudden walk off the ninth green and go to the club house. He has done this numerous times since he can not control his temper.

I have also seen this with other golfers just walk off the course and await us in the club house. I have never ever done this since I want to finish the course and see what I played for the day.

I have never seen what Mickleson did today on the green and he should apologize and then withdraw from the tournament which is the honorable thing to do.

One of the main reasons I play this game is because of the honor that we all have in playing this game.

I will bet u that a lot of Freepers that are not golfers and other folks do not know why we play 18 holes of golf.

The main reason we have to finish 18 holes of golf is because it took a Scotsman 18 shots of Scotch to finish up the bottle. This is the main reason we play 18 holes of Golf. Those Scotsman could drink.

Another golfing jewel is the word "GOLF" stands for Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden.

74 posted on 06/16/2018 7:17:52 PM PDT by TheConservativeTejano
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To: Hebrews 11:6

All of these self imposed rules gods editorializing over a triviality like this is a major reason why golf is not more popular. Only in golf do you have people lobbying(all too frequently successfully) to punish a player long after the round is over. Phil did what he did. The USGA ruled. He accepted the penalty. END OF DISCUSSION. Golf should put an end to this rule by Twitter twits who have nothing better to do than look for rules violations. All of this pontificating about integrity and tradition are irrelevant when you can get disqualified because someone saw a player move the wrong pine needle on the Golf Channel replay. If you want to get upset over something, pick something important like the FBI spying on Trump.

As for the course, it looked pathetic. There were so many brown patches on the greens that the club should make the USGA pay for the repairs. They looked like greens on a poorly run public course. Sometimes the USGA gets the right balance between difficulty and playability. Usually, however, they end up with virtually impossible setups, and Shinnecock got worse as the day went on. When a player hits a great shot, but winds up fifty yards off the green with an impossible shot, then the game is not worth watching.


75 posted on 06/16/2018 7:18:25 PM PDT by yawningotter
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To: RetiredArmy

I believe the players playing best are still at the top of the leaderboard, but it’s no fun to see pros play like hackers. I’ve seen enough of that to last a lifetime already.

Augusta National is the only organization that knows how to run a major championship.


76 posted on 06/16/2018 7:19:12 PM PDT by Moonman62 (Give a man a fish and he'll be a Democrat. Teach a man to fish and he'll be a responsible citizen.)
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To: Moonman62

“The greens are 10 different shades of brown and green, and idiots are yelling in the gallery. I notice Dustin Johnson had to whistle at some moron walking in front of the tee. Terrible crowd control on top of everything else.”

Yes. Saw all of that and more.


77 posted on 06/16/2018 7:21:49 PM PDT by TexasGator (Z1)
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To: Rummyfan

The only thing to be said n his defense is that that course was impossible on Saturday.

...

The two leaders were in 45th place starting today. It’s unfair that the course was playing five to six strokes easier when they played earlier today.


78 posted on 06/16/2018 7:23:43 PM PDT by Moonman62 (Give a man a fish and he'll be a Democrat. Teach a man to fish and he'll be a responsible citizen.)
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To: Hebrews 11:6

I guess they should kill him and then he wouldn’t be able to embarrass them again...severe insults require severe penalties.


79 posted on 06/16/2018 7:23:45 PM PDT by RetiredTexasVet (Start using cash and checks or the elite class and bankers will make "cashless" the norm.)
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To: yawningotter

“When a player hits a great shot, but winds up fifty yards off the green with an impossible shot, then the game is not worth watching.”

I liked the ones where they would barely get it rolling and it would bounce up and down and back and forth and just keep on rolling!


80 posted on 06/16/2018 7:25:39 PM PDT by TexasGator (Z1)
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