This week, Phil Mickelson begins life without caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay, who has been carrying his golf bag for 25 years.
Mickelson will have his brother, former Arizona State golf coach Tim Mickelson, by his side when he tees it up on Thursday in the Greenbrier Classic on the Old White TPC Course at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
“This is an opportunity for me to spend time with one of my favorite people in the world, my brother Tim,” said Mickelson, who maintains the breakup with Mackay was amicable.
“There’s nobody I like or love or respect more than Tim, and for us to have this time together the rest of the year is something I will cherish.”
Something else has to change for Lefty at the Greenbrier.
In three previous starts in the tournament, he has posted scores of 70-73–143 in 2011, 71-71–142 in 2012 and 74-68–142 in 2013, and missed the cut each time. He is an aggregate 7 over par for the six rounds.
“This course is brutally difficult,” Mickelson said after failing to reach the weekend in 2011. “It’s a very hard golf course. It’s hard to get the ball stopped. I hit sand wedges 40, 50 feet in. It’s hard to get the ball close. …
“The people here have been terrific. They’ve been very supportive of the tournament and very nice. This is such a great place here that it’s cool to see the people come out here and support pro golf.”
Despite not making the cut in any of his three starts, Mickelson and his family came to love the Greenbrier experience, which includes zip-lining, bowling, horseback riding, bike riding, carriage tours, falconry, fishing, croquet, shooting, kayaking, off-road driving, paintball, swimming, Segway tours, shuffleboard, tennis and whitewater rafting.
Or you can visit the fallout bomb shelter built for members of the United States government during the Cold War.
Mickelson enjoyed the Greenbrier so much that he bought a home on the property and last year became a member of the Greenbrier Sporting Club plus a Tour Ambassador for the resort.
He joined Greenbrier golf professional emeritus Lee Trevino and two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, also a Greenbrier Sporting Club member, as golf stars representing the resort.
It’s a tradition that dates to the late Sam Snead, the Greenbrier’s first golf professional emeritus, whose 82 victories are the most in PGA Tour history.
“My family, like all others who have visited the resort, loves the Greenbrier,” said Mickelson, whose primary residence is near San Diego. “I’m excited (to) be calling the Greenbrier Sporting Club home and to be part of such a wonderful community. … The Greenbrier truly is America’s resort.”
Lefty will be making his first start since missing the U.S. Open at Erin Hills last month because of his daughter’s high school graduation.
When the Greenbrier Classic was canceled last year after historic rain and flooding swept through West Virginia on June 23, less than two weeks before the tournament was scheduled to be played, Mickelson offered to do more.
The TPC Old White Course could not be was repaired in time for the tournament, but the Greenbrier Course was much more significantly damaged. Phil Mickelson Design is handing the renovation of the course, which was designed by Seth Raynor and opened in 1929.
“I contacted (Greenbrier Resort owner) Jim (Justice) and said, ‘If you’re willing to have me, I want to come back and play in the Greenbrier Classic for the rest of your tenure,'” Mickelson said. “I also want to help those in need in rebuilding a great community. …
“I’ve always been a big fan of Seth Raynor’s work. My goal is to stay true to his design concepts while updating the course to challenge and excite generations to come. By restoring the Greenbrier to its full glory, we’ll help the town and region recover from the devastating flood damage. …
“We have a tremendous piece of property that comes with a great history and we are going to make it great for the future of the Greenbrier Resort and the region.”
The Greenbrier Course hosted the 1979 Ryder Cup, a Senior PGA Tour event from 1985-87 and the 1994 Solheim Cup.
The course is being played as a 12-hole layout until July 1, when it will close for Mickelson’s redesign, which will include renovation of eight holes and the addition of 10 new holes.
Until then, hopefully Mickelson has learned enough about the TPC Old White Course enough to at least make the cut this week.
–Courtesy of The Sports Xchange, TSX Golf Editor Tom LaMarre
