Jersey City, United States: With 12 Presidents Cups — and 23 US match play appearances under his belt, Phil Mickelson knows what matters.
The five-time major champion drained a 12-foot birdie putt at the 18th to seal a 1-up win with Kevin Kisner over Jason Day and Marc Leishman on Friday as the US roared to a six-point Presidents Cup lead over the International team.
The US duo celebrated with an awkward, hip-thrusting ‘Three Amigos’ dance.
A day after taking a selfie that barely included himself with former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Mickelson was unapologetic.
“I get that I can’t dance,” he said. “I get that I can’t take selfies. But I can putt, and it was nice to roll that last one in.”
US captain Steve Stricker had seen the dance rehearsal and had misgivings about what was coming.
“Phil is Phil,” Stricker said, adding that he knew a missed putt to win a match on Thursday had been “eating at” Mickelson overnight.
“He just can’t believe he missed that putt yesterday,” Stricker said. “It’s nice to see that he got a little redemption on that last green and made that putt.”
Mickelson’s 24th win in Presidents Cup play tied Tiger Woods’ record. Woods, an assistant to US captain Steve Stricker, was at the 18th green to see it.
“The record, I don’t really think much about,” Mickelson said. I just love every opportunity to be a part of these events and these teams.”
Including Ryder Cup play, he’s been on 23. But the 47-year-old says they aren’t getting any easier.
“I was nervous throughout the entire match,” Mickelson said. “But the first three or four holes I was really nervous. I always am.
“I told Kisner to feel free to say something, because I’m feeling the pressure. I’m certainly feeling it.
“I played a little tight early on. I don’t care how many of these I’ve played in, I feel more and more pressure as the years go by, because I cherish them so much.”
Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri had an afternoon to forget as he and his International teammates were left humbled on Friday.
Lahiri and partner South African Charl Schwartzel absorbed the worst beating as Presidents Cup rookies Charley Hoffman and Kevin Chappell administered a 6&5 thrashing to collect the first US point of the day.
Hoffman and Chappell, who sat out Thursday’s opening foursomes, came out flying, 3-up after four holes.
The Internationals, meanwhile, stumbled out of the starting blocks with India’s Lahiri disqualified from playing the third hole after taking a practice shot out of the bunker at the second.
Players are allowed to practice putting after the holes have been determined but cannot practice shots from anywhere else on the course.
“I think it was just an oversight on his part,” said International captain Nick Price. “He’s obviously trying to prove to all of us that his pick was worth it and it’s put a lot of pressure on him.”
Price may have been sympathetic but he had no time to ease Lahiri, one of his captain’s picks, out of his 0-4-0 funk and benched him for Saturday’s foursomes.
“I think today he showed that he was very tight out there,” said Price.
