Phil Mickelson: A history of close calls at the U.S. Open

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Aug 26, 2016; Farmingdale, NY, USA; Phil Mickelson hits his second shot on the 12th hole during the second round of The Barclays golf tournament at Bethpage State Park – Black Course. Mandatory Credit: Eric Sucar-USA TODAY Sports /

2002: Tiger vs. Phil, a rivalry is born

Following the heartbreak at Pinehurst, it seemed inevitable that Mickelson would eventually win the national championship. However, what many saw as proof that Tiger Woods was beatable ended up being the fuel for Woods to bring his game to an even higher level.

Woods finished that 1999 U.S. Open tied for third place, tied for seventh at Carnoustie in The Open, and then broke through for his second major at the 1999 PGA Championship. In 2000 and 2001, Woods won the Tiger Slam, but through it all, Mickelson was right there, and their “rivalry” was born.

The two had played together in the final round of the 2001 Masters, so this week at Bethpage wasn’t the first that Woods and Mickelson had seen of each other on the major stage. Back then, though, Woods felt truly invincible.

If anybody could have beaten him, it certainly would have been Mickelson. At this point in his career, he still held the dread “best player never to win a major” title, but even he realized it was simply a matter of time.

Chasing down the Tiger

Mickelson more than held his own in front of a rowdy New York crowd at Bethpage. A Friday 73 left him at three-over at the cut, eight shots back of Woods and in a seemingly impossible place already. Lefty bounced back on Saturday, posting three-under 67, but still found himself five shots behind Woods. As well as he could play, he’d need Woods to open the door on Sunday.

Tiger began Sunday’s round with a pair of bogeys, and Mickelson opened with a birdie, tying Sergio Garcia in second place and moving within two shots of Woods. However, that’s as close as the tournament would ever get.

Mickelson got back to within three with a birdie on No. 11, but both he and Woods bogeyed two of the final three holes. Woods, with his eighth major championship, had become the first person since Jack Nicklaus in 1972 to win The Masters and U.S. Open in the same year, and seemed well on his way to the Grand Slam.

Mickelson’s moment would have to wait, yet again.

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