It’s great to see Phil in the winner’s circle again, but his comments that “Winged Foot made me a better driver of the golf ball” missed the point entirely.
The issue at Winged Foot was not that Phil drove the ball poorly, it wasn’t his drive that killed him, it was his choice to go for the green in two with a three iron around the huge tree guarding the 18th green.
The driver didn’t hang Phil, temptation hung Phil. He had to know it wasn’t safe to go for the green and should have laid up…just like Payne Stewart and David Toms did to steal majors from under his nose.
We won’t know if the lesson from Winged Foot was learned or not until Phil is faced with same dilemma. Will he make a smart decision and play safe when forced to or not? Phil won three majors by not losing strokes to bad decisions. That’s the issue he still must prove and he will face it in majors-to-come. “Becoming a better driver” of the golf ball may actually hurt him in a situation where one mistake will sink his chances.
I’m all for his renewed confidence, I’m all for his new workout regimen, and I’m all for a big time redemption from that horrible summer day, but I have not seen that Phil gets the true crux of the issue. It wasn’t the drive that killed him in the open, it was going for the green from a ridiculous angle. That hideous low percentage shot choice was the issue.
Solve that Phil. The test is not what you do with a five shot lead at a February Tournament with the hit and giggle crowd, but what you do tied or with a one shot lead at a major with Tiger or Retief crowding you. Make the same choice as Stewart and Toms if you have to when faced with danger. Go back to what got you to win three majors…playing smart strategic golf. It’s good to have you back, Phil…now stay with us.
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