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Phil Mickelson offers to replace Tom Brady, gives calf advice to Steph Curry

Dylan DethierBy Dylan Dethier
September 20, 2019

Phil Mickelson hasn’t played competitive golf in a month, but he’s found a way to stay busy. Mickelson has morphed into a social media content machine in recent weeks, responding to scores of fans on Twitter. On Thursday, he hopped into the mentions of a couple high-powered athletes.

First it was Tom Brady, who was limited at practice Wednesday with a calf injury. Mickelson made it clear: he was ready to step in when called upon.

“I’m standby on a flight to Boston,” wrote Mickelson, who prides himself on his own prodigious calf muscles — and his throwing arm, for that matter.

Mickelson’s cheekiness has endeared him to thousands of social media followers; he was on-brand in pointing out that “waiting standby” meant holding tight in his private jet.

It was only a matter of time until Brady, another forty-something with an emerging Twitter following, responded. “The Phil Mickelson Method…for jacked calves? Sign me up,” he wrote.

Lefty liked that.

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Next in Mickelson’s sights was Stephen Curry. The Warriors hoops star is set to join Mickelson in the pro-am at next week’s Safeway Open and wanted to make sure his calves were on point for their showdown. He posted a video doing calf raises, asking for Mickelson’s advice.

What followed rang a little bit more like some PR-orchestrated back-and-forth to build up next week’s pro-am appearance, but still — we’ll take it.

(After all, it’s better than the forced smack-talk between Mickelson and Tiger Woods in the same setting last year…)

Mickelson’s return to the PGA Tour comes at next week’s Safeway Open.

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