The Sports Monitor

Phil Mickelson rules the British Open. I never thought I'd type those six words. But after a sizzling final-round 66 Sunday, Mickelson won the major he never thought possible. For a Phil fan like me, it was amazing. The birdie on the 18th hole left a smile on my face. And I couldn't stop talking about the charge he made. And the national media couldn't either. I did get a little annoyed when I heard a host on the radio last say night that Mickelson looked like Tiger winning the British Open. Ah ... no. Absolutely not. Phil did something Tiger never did: win a major coming from behind on Sunday. It was a memorable day. Lefty had one of greatest closing rounds in major history. Couldn't ask for a better finish, especially after the U.S. Open last month.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again up front: I'm a Phil Mickelson fan. I know what to expect the next three days at the U.S. Open. Mickelson is just a couple hours from teeing off in the second round at Merion. He had a fantastic round of 67 to take the clubhouse lead after the first round was delayed. That doesn't guarantee any success the rest of the tournament. Mickelson is know for his high-risk, high-reward play, which isn't the best approach to the Open. Lefty will stay near the lead, put up a bogey-bogey stretch to fall behind and find a way to get a birdie to get everyone jazzed up again about his chances. It's exhilarating and frustrating all at once. It's the Phil Mickelson Experience. Will he win? Don't think so. But that doesn't mean I won't be rooting for him. I want to see him get his breakthrough win at the Open. And after one round he has a shot. But it's usually an errant shot that takes him off co...

I watched the Masters last week and couldn't believe the outbursts by Tiger Woods. Was I surprised? No. He's been doing it for a while, but I thought Woods could have shown a little more restraint and decorum. I don't recall a golfer who consistently gets upset and displays it as much as Woods does. He expects every shot to be perfect, every putt to find the hole. The problem is, it's golf. You can't be perfect. While I was rooting for Phil Mickelson (I expected a meltdown and got it) and was amazed by Bubba Watson's shot that set up his playoff win, I couldn't help but compare Woods to John McEnroe. Mac was the best in tennis at one time. He wasn't as dominant for as long as Woods was, but his touch around the net and shotmaking was brilliant. Oh, there was that temper, too. Woods has that same temper. It seems that with each passing day, there could be a growing audience in golf to see if Woods explodes on the course. That number migh...