Phil Mickelson has played on six Ryder Cup teams and lost five of them and he admits he is at a loss to explain why this is.
What puzzles him is that similar United States teams have done well in the Presidents Cup played in alternate years against an International Team selected from the rest of the world outside of Europe.
Asked if three straight defeats at the hands of the Europeans had left mental scars on the Americans, including himself, Mickelson shook his head.
”Had it not been for the Presidents Cup, I might agree with that premise,” he said.
”But I feel like the Presidents Cup has given us team competitions, team experiences that we’ve done very well in and succeeded in.
”And the key for us will be doing it in a Ryder Cup.
”I don’t know why we haven’t been able to play at the same level in the Ryder Cup as we have in the Presidents Cup.
”But I don’t feel as though there are those scars … given that we’ve had success in the alternate years.”
Mickelson’s own record in the competition is a poor one considering the fact that for much of the last few years he has been ranked the second-best golfer in the world.
It currently stands at won nine, lost 12 and tied four, and he is clearly bent on at least getting back to parity at Valhalla.
But from there to taking on a clear leadership role as the most experienced player in the US team, Mickelson comes over as reticent.
”My only responsibility is to play well,” he said.
”That’s something I’ve been working on, and all of the players have been working hard on, this last week.
”I think captain Paul Azinger has been a wonderful leader for us. I think he’s been a great captain and has given us great direction. One of the biggest challenges heading into a Ryder Cup is some of the uncertainty we’ll face during the week.
”He’s done a great job of letting everybody know what to expect.
”I feel like the guys who have not played in this event are ready to play, so I think the leadership has really come from our captain.”
Mickelson agreed that the Europeans would start on Friday as favourites, especially in the absence of the injured Tiger Woods, and he said he expected Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia to be the flag-bearers for the cup holders.
But he remained convinced that the Americans had a real chance of stopping the rot, especially on a course they know well like Valhalla and with the crowd firmly behind them. — AFP
