GULLANE, United Kingdom: Phil Mickelson’s win in the British Open at Muirfield on Sunday drew praise from fellow golfers starting with Justin Rose, who denied the American in his home Open last month.
The Englishman edged out 43-year-old Mickelson at Merion Golf Club to hand him a record sixth runner-up finish in the US Open, a result that left him in some despair.
He also defeated Mickelson in singles at last year’s Ryder Cup in Chicago.
“Really pleased for Phil... I feel good for him especially after all the courtesy and sportsmanship he showed me at Ryder Cup and US Open,” Rose, who missed the cut at Muirfield, said on his Twitter site.
Luke Donald, who also failed to make it through to the weekend, said on Twitter it was “Easy to see why Phil is so liked and admired -- he just personifies class, and one helluva golfer too”
Donald also paid tribute on Twitter to Mickelson’s caddie Jim “Bones” MacKay, who has been with the Californian throughout his career.
“Phil & Bones are the best player/caddy partnership in golf. It’s hard to last as long as they have 2gether yet they have done it w/ ease.”
MacKay was near to tears after Mickelson clinched the famous win and said that it held a very special place in both their careers.
“He did seem to be really at peace today and very confident with what was going on. To go from where he was to the top of the leaderboard he was very calm. He knew he was putting great and putting himself into a position to succeed out there,” he told the BBC.
“I think it ranks right up there among his previous wins. I love the Masters but I love the British Open, especially in Scotland. It means the world, for me as his caddie at least, to win -- it’s very special.”
Keegan Bradley, the young American who has formed a close bond with Mickelson through their being paired together in the Ryder Cup, said that Mickelson’s final round of 66 at Muirfield on Sunday had been worthy of a winner.
“66 from Phil today is ridiculous. Best golf I’ve ever seen,” he tweeted after Mickelson’s victory at Muirfield. AFP
