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Unlucky 13th hole proves to be a mountain of trouble for Mickelson
2008-06-15
SAN DIEGO, California (AFP) - Phil Mickelson changed his strategy in the third round of the 108th US Open golf championship but he couldn't alter his luck. Mickelson, who shares the record for most US Open runner-up finishes without a win, shot a five-over par 76 for a nine-over 222 total. The three-time major championship winner may have seen his hopes for victory this year unravel with a disastrous 13th hole on Saturday at Torrey Pines. To stunned silence from an enthusiastic and faithful gallery, San Diego's favourite native son took a quadruple-bogey on the 614-yard par-five 13. Number 13 truly was unlucky for Mickelson as he tried unsuccessfully three times to finesse his ball up a steep slope in front of the green. Each time his chip shot ended up rolling back to about the same spot. He blasted his fourth chip over the flag and onto the green then three-putted. In one hole Mickelson, who had opted not to go with a driver for the first two rounds, went from five-over par to nine-over. He holds the dubious distinction of being tied with Sam Snead for the most US Open runner-up finishes without a victory, with four. Mickelson raised eyebrows when he decided not to go with a driver despite Torrey Pines being the longest US Open course in history at 7,643 yards. Mickelson and Adam Scott played in a mini-supergroup Saturday, after their playing partner of the first two rounds, Tiger Woods, distanced himself from them with an impressive 68 on Friday. Despite the absence of Woods, Mickelson and Scott played with a larger police contingent Saturday than the first two days as a result of a scuffle between Scott's caddie, Tony Navarro, and two unruly father and son fans. The beefed up security included four uniformed police officers and several undercover officers in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the fight which resulted in both fans being arrested.
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