One swing. Two swings. Three swings. Then, finally, on the fourth, Phil Mickelson was out. Out of the bunker. And, a short while later, out of the PGA Championship.
The unfortunate collapse came during Friday’s second round, on Quail Hollow Club’s 443-yard, par-4 12th hole. There, Mickelson found himself in the left greenside bunker after two shots, but the following four strokes were disastrous.
— Stroke three, and his first bunker shot, didn’t escape. The six-time major winner then looked at his ball. He rubbed his nose with his left hand.
— Stroke four, and his second bunker shot, didn’t escape. He’d hit it seven seconds after the first bunker shot. Afterward, he again rubbed his nose with his left hand, and he gave his pants a tug. “Still in there,” announcer Matt Barrie said on the ESPN broadcast.
— Stroke five, and his third bunker shot, didn’t escape. He hit it eight seconds after the second bunker shot. “Is he still in the bunker?” Barrie asked on the broadcast.
— Stroke six, and his fourth bunker shot, escaped. It traveled across the green and onto the fringe. From there, Mickelson took two more strokes, and he carded a quadruple-bogey eight.
The LIV Golf pro had been making a move. During Thursday’s first round, Mickelson had shot an eight-over 79, but Friday, after playing his first six holes at one over, he birdied holes 7, 8, 9 and 11 to put him at five over — and bring the thought of making the weekend into play.
But the 8 essentially ended that. He shot a one-over 72 during the second round and finished at nine-over for 36 holes, which was eight shots above the cutline.
“A disaster for Mickelson out of the bunker at 12,” Barrie said on the broadcast.
“I don’t ever think I’ve seen someone with as good of a short game do that.”
