If you were watching the WGC event at Doral yesterday, you got a heaping dose of Philly Mick doing his thing. I've been somewhat critical of Phil in the past for two things:
- Bad Fashion Sense - The wide (white, FGS) belts and the tight shirts (with shorter sleves,no less - see above) are not made for people built like Phil. Sorry dude, I know you lost some lbs and are proud of your new physique - but you aren't there yet....TRUST ME. Leave that stuff to the under 30 flat bellies and go for a little less form fitting look. I just read today that you get your gear custom made in the UK, so please ask your sartorial squire to make 'em a bit larger, ok ?
- Lack of Sincerity and being a bit "Fake": I get the whole "little curly haired blonde girls running into Daddy's arms when he wins thing". The same thing happens to me , so I am SO USED TO IT (laughing inside...). Seriously - every golf fan in America has seen it and knows the message you are putting out - and maybe, just MAYBE, it IS sincere...but for some reason I cannot buy it. It just seems like a thin veneer over the top of a completely different feeling that you have inside - sort of like a chocolate covered, uh, worm or something. Maybe it's just me, but it all looks so damn contrived.
Anyway - this post is not about hating on Phil. Instead, it's about something that I think represents a REAL decision that he has made. Watching him yesterday, it really looks like after struggling with the "aggressive Phil / conservative Phil" internal debate, he has finally decided to be the player that he feels most natural being - and that's the aggressive Phil. You have heard this discussed in countless interviews - but the way he played yesterday, the shots he hit, his responses to good and bad shots, his entire approach spoke to me of a man who has really resolved some inner issues (one example - the new approach to tee shots "tee it high and hit it really far").
It could be temporary, and I could be entirely wrong....but as Ben Crenshaw once said, "I've got a feeling about this one"... I'm going to take a stance here, and predict a big win for Phil today and big season for him - regardless of how well Tiger, Rory, VJ, Sergio, and the rest of the guys play.
If I am right, you heard it here first. If I am wrong, well, I guess I will blame it on the English tailor..
It could be temporary, and I could be entirely wrong....but as Ben Crenshaw once said, "I've got a feeling about this one"... I'm going to take a stance here, and predict a big win for Phil today and big season for him - regardless of how well Tiger, Rory, VJ, Sergio, and the rest of the guys play.
If I am right, you heard it here first. If I am wrong, well, I guess I will blame it on the English tailor..
