Phil Mickelson has spent his fair share of time on the nice and naughty lists, and Santa has made it clear — if Phil wants something, he’ll need to stay on the nice list in 2020.
Mickelson did a Phireside with Phil video with Santa, posted Monday morning, and though he didn’t sit on Santa’s lap, he did get 1-on-1 attention. Phil’s wish for 2020 is to be involved with an American victory at the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.
Note how Mickelson doesn’t just want an American victory, he also wants to be “involved.” Will it be as a player? Or perhaps an assistant captain for Steve Stricker? That much is unclear, but the skit plays out with Santa pinpointing how Mickelson being on the “Naughty List” kept his similar wish from 2018 from happening.
As you may recall, the Americans lost in a blowout to the European team at the Ryder Cup in France. Mickelson struggled mightily. One reason may have been that Mickelson was on the Naughty List for his actions during the U.S. Open at Shinnecock.
“U.S. Open; Naughty List,” was all Santa said, referring to Mickelson’s run-and-putt that caused quite the stir. Mickelson grinned, admitting it won’t happen again. He then revealed his 2019 asks of “a win, calves and abs,” which Santa apparently delivered since he said Phil was on the Nice List.
So, a 2020 win on American soil for the Americans? I might literally come down to Phil Mickelson being good. As you may know, Mickelson won in 2019, but he did not finish the year strong. His chances of making the Ryder Cup team hinge almost entirely on his performance from January through July. But with Santa, anything is possible, right? Check out his playful-as-ever video below.
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