At 50, Phil Mickelson still loves the chase and caught himself one more major championship

There are few things as comforting as seeing Phil Mickelson stalking the fairways of Pebble Beach. For some reason, Mickelson and the Monterey Peninsula just make sense. The California native made his pro debut in the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and he's played the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am since 1995. He's a five-time winner at Pebble Beach, most recently in 2019, and finished third here last year at the age of 49. He's been playing the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for so long that he's competed against players born in every decade from the 1920s (Arnold Palmer) to the 2000s (Akshay Bhatia, who's playing this week on a sponsor exemption). As with any great player, it's always interesting to look at the evolution of his equipment. In Mickelson's case, his equipment setup has evolved since his second win at Pebble Beach in 2005, when he bested Mike Weir by four strokes. You can learn a lot about how Mickelson's mind works digging into his bag. These days, the top of the bag is built for long, unapologetic missile launching and the bottom is an artist's toolbox built for variety and satisfying every creative whim. As you will see from 2005 to now, the top of the bag stayed fairly traditional, and as time went on, hybrids, 5-woods, and utility irons found their way in. The wedge set up has always stayed quintessentially Phil, however. Let’s take a look at what he had the bag for three of his wins (2005, '12, '19) and what he has in play today. 2021 Driver: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X 2-wood: TaylorMade "Original One" Mini Driver Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X 4-wood: Callaway Mavrik Sub Zero (16.5 degrees) Shaft: KBS TD 80 C5 TX Irons: Callaway Epic Forged (4), Callaway Apex MB ‘21 (5-PW) Shafts: KBS Tour V 125 S+ Wedges: Callaway PM Grind '19 "Raw" (54-10, 60-12, 64-10) Shafts: KBS Tour-V 125 S+ Putter: Odyssey Milled Blade "Phil Mickelson" Grip: SuperStroke Pistol GT Tour Grips: Golf Price MCC Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X with Triple Track 2019 Driver: Callaway Rogue Sub Zero (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 3-wood: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (13.5 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Fubuki J 80 X Irons: Callaway X Forged UT (4,5), Callaway Apex MB ‘21 (6-PW) Shafts: KBS Tour V 125 Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy PM Grind 19 (54-10, 60-12, 64-10) Shafts: KBS Tour V 125 Putter: Odyssey Versa No. 9 White Grip: SuperStroke Slim 3.0 Grips: Golf Pride MCC Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X (with Triple Track Technology) 2012 Driver: Callaway RAZR Fit (9.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC7.2 X 3-wood: Callaway Big Bertha Diablo (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Rombax 80 X Hybrid: Callaway X Prototype (19 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Fubuki 73 X Irons: Callaway X-Forged CB (4,5), Callaway RAZR X MB (6-P) Shafts: Project X 7.0 Wedges: Callaway X Series Jaws (52@54, 60, 64) Shafts: Project X 7.0 Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG PT82 Grips: Golf Pride MCC Ball: Callaway Hex Black Tour 2005 Driver: Callaway Big Bertha Fusion FT-3 (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Graphite Design PM Proto 70 X 3-wood: Callaway Big Bertha WarBird 4+ (16 degrees) Shaft: Graphite Design PM Proto 80 X Irons: Callaway X-Tour (3-PW) Shafts: Project X 7.0 Wedges: Callaway Vintage Forged (52, 56, 60) Shafts: Project X 7.0 Putter: Odyssey PM Proto Milled Blade Grips: Royal Grip Sand Wrap Ball: Callaway HX Tour 56

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FORT WORTH, Texas – We entered this week not really knowing what to expect. First PGA TOUR event in three months. No fans. No stands. Testing protocols and in-the-bubble existence. Masks required for most, thermal screening necessary for all. Now we’re 54 holes in and guess what? The Charles Schwab Challenge has turned into … a regular golf tournament. And that’s a good thing. Sunday’s final round will focus on which player on a leaderboard stacked with notable names will emerge as the latest champion this season. A big trophy, a plaid jacket, a nice check and 500 FedExCup points will be rewarded, just like previous years at Colonial. RELATED: RELATED: Leaderboard | Big names in contention at Charles Schwab Challenge “We’re … here to win a golf tournament,â€� said South African Branden Grace, one of five players a shot behind leader Xander Schauffele. “Whether there’s 40,000 people or four people watching, it doesn’t really make a difference.â€� Of course, Grace and all the players in this week’s field realize it’s been anything but a normal week on TOUR. Some received another dose of the new reality after their third rounds, as players scheduled to fly the charter to next week’s RBC Heritage at Harbour Town were required to again undergo COVID-19 testing in order to play next week. On Sunday, there will be no trophy presentation on the 18th green for the champion, although there will be a photo op. The winner’s press conference will be handled virtually, as have all media obligations this week. The charter leaves shortly after the event, so there’s no time to spend on other responsibilities generally required of a tournament champ. Still, it’s competition. A chance to beat your peers. The determining factor might very well be how players handle the unusual circumstances of a high-pressure environment without being able to feed off fans. Some may like it. Some may find it difficult to play their best. “I’m into it, and it’s a little bit more competitive honestly than I thought it would be,â€� said Justin Thomas, who joins Grace, Jordan Spieth, Gary Woodland and Collin Morikawa as the closest pursuers to Schauffele. “I thought it was going to be very odd. I was hoping that I’d be in this position to where I’d have a good chance to win the tournament and see how I feel, but it is going to be different, especially come those last couple of holes if you have a lead or if you’re trying to chase someone down or if you’re tied for the lead. “It’ll be interesting to see how that adrenaline plays a role.â€� Schauffele, a four-time TOUR winner who grabbed the lead with a birdie on his final hole Saturday, leaving him at 13 under after his second consecutive 66, may be the perfect player to handle the atmosphere. The word “subduedâ€� was invented for him. “I’m kind of a quiet guy,â€� he said. “I don’t have like a huge effect on the crowd, I’d say, so not having fans isn’t the craziest thing for me. “It just does feel like I’m playing at home with some of my buddies. It’s quiet. You make three birdies in a row, you can kind of give yourself a pat on the back.â€� His playing partner in the final twosome is Gary Woodland, who also shot 66 to move into a five-way tie for second with Grace, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Collin Morikawa. Woodland said it will simply be a matter of making his own noise. “When you get into contention and have a chance to win a golf tournament, that adrenaline starts pumping,â€� Woodland said. “It’s been a little different; the first two days there wasn’t too much adrenaline. There will be adrenaline going, which you have with fans or without fans. Tomorrow should be fun.â€� One person who definitely has fed off the Colonial crowd in recent years is Spieth, the Dallas native who won here in 2016. Spieth is the only other pro to reach 13 under this week, but a bogey at the 15th prevented him for playing in the final twosome for the second consecutive day. He shot 68 while playing with 36-hole leader Harold Varner III, who posted a 70 to drop two shots off the pace. Instead of becoming a normal tournament as the week has progressed, Spieth admitted “it’s felt weirder, in my opinion.â€� “Going in, I thought that Monday to Friday would be somewhat normal and then Saturday and Sunday would be a bit odd,â€� he said. “Today definitely felt a lot different for it being a Saturday afternoon in the last group. When you kind of think about the situation you’re in, you just don’t feel like you’re actually out there doing that. I just felt like I was playing a normal round with Harold, certainly knowing where I was at. “You know, I like to feed off the crowds.â€� So does Rory McIlroy, the world’s top-ranked player. McIlroy, making his first start at Colonial, followed his 63 with a 1-under 69 while basically flying under the radar. He’s at 10 under and will be another player trying to make his own noise. “I feel for a Saturday afternoon being in contention on the PGA TOUR, it felt sort of weird out there,â€� McIlroy said. “The first couple days it was fine, but definitely today it’s feeling strange. I’m sure tomorrow will feel pretty strange, especially with so many guys in and around the lead.â€� So many notables, to be more specific. The top 14 players on the leaderboard, all within 3 shots of the lead, includes the last five FedExCup champs (Spieth, Thomas, Justin Rose and McIlroy times two). Seven of the contenders played in the Presidents Cup last December. Woodland is the reigning U.S. Open champ; Grace holds the record for lowest round shot in a major. You get the drift. “It definitely has a major feel,â€� Woodland said. “You’ve got a lot of the top players in the world, and everybody is playing well. I think everybody is excited to be out here, and with no fans here, you get some big names up there that you definitely get the juices going.â€� Still, there’s no denying that this week has been unusual for all at Colonial. But a win’s a win – and this win Sunday, given the circumstances, may very well be as special as they come. “Listen, this is new to us all,â€� said Rose, trying to win at Colonial for the second time in the last three years. “It’s going to feel different for everybody, but it’s going to feel as rewarding to win. You’re going to have to beat a great field and it’s going to be a good leaderboard to contest against, and whoever wins tomorrow is going to have to go out and play some good golf. From that point of view, that’s all we’re looking at. “Ultimately, we all need to break down the golf course week in and week out and that doesn’t change tomorrow. Obviously, the crowd and the fans, they bring some of the atmosphere and the energy, but it doesn’t change the task.â€� Play the quiet game … or make your noise. Whoever figures it out the best may be the subject of a photo op late Sunday afternoon.

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GUYANCOURT, France – The great saying goes a champion team will always beat a team of champions. And so it appeared to be at Le Golf National as the Europeans didn’t just beat what many were calling the deepest American Ryder Cup team ever assembled … they annihilated them. The 17.5 – 10.5 final result was the most lopsided Ryder Cup since Europe’s 2006 win at The K Club (18.5-9.5). It extended the dominance for Europe on their own soil to at least 27 years and marks seven wins in the last nine Ryder Cups for Thomas Bjorn’s men. Every single one of the European team contributed at least a full point to the final tally. All 12 of them. That is some serious teamwork. On the American team, 80-time PGA TOUR winner Tiger Woods went 0-4. Phil Mickelson 0-2. And Bryson DeChambeau was 0-3. All three of the above were captain’s picks from Jim Furyk. With Tony Finau gaining two points, the four picks earned just that. From the European side, Bjorn’s four picks stood up to be counted. They combined to score 9.5 points with Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson getting three each, Poulter winning two and Casey netting 1.5. Because those four understood from the minute they were given the gift of a place in the team, it wasn’t about them anymore. It was about nothing but the team. The Americans claim to be a cohesive unit. And no doubt they are. But the stark reality is they are not as cohesive as the Europeans. The numbers say as much. No amount of task force meetings can cover up minor fractures in team cohesion. From the moment the European team formed their now infamous WhatsApp group – a group message that was as Rory McIlroy described as “just one big love-inâ€� – the egos were left at the door. Garcia, in his ninth Ryder Cup, was no more or less important than Thorbjorn Olesen in his first. McIlroy’s stature as a four-time major champion and former FedExCup champion stacked up equally against Alex Noren this week. Garcia became the all-time points leader in European history at 25.5, taking over from Sir Nick Faldo but brushed it aside as just another three points towards this particular trophy. His real focus was on bringing the team theme to the rookies. Passing on the selfless passion he’s had for so many years in this cauldron. When Jon Rahm was feeling down after being 0-2 in team play, his fellow Spaniard took him aside and kept him on task. Rahm was slated with Woods in singles, no easy task to take on an idol. But Garcia told him how and why he would win. It proved prophetic. His contribution to that point perhaps as important as the three he gained himself. It was this comradery that had Italian Francesco Molinari so primed to deliver. In the past two Ryder Cups he had been part of, he had failed to win a match. This time around he was 5-0 and became the first European player to ever post that record in one Ryder Cup. “You could see on Monday when we got together, it wasn’t ending up any other way,â€� Molinari said. “I’ve been part of another two winning teams where I didn’t bring full points, and I’m glad after I’ve been carried on the shoulders by some of these guys to give something back. “But it’s about every one of these guys, the vice captains, it’s just the best team I’ve ever been part of by miles.â€� The Europeans made constant fun of one another – both in person or in the group text message. But as is the style of humor on this side of the pond it was all done from a place of love. There was no hierarchy. McIlroy pointed out before the Ryder Cup began that he was pleasantly surprised with Rahm’s contribution to the conversation. In other words, rookie Rahm could give as good as he could take. “At first I was a little bit hesitant on what to say. I didn’t want to piss off anybody, and once I realized what the tone was going to be, within 30 seconds, here we go, somebody was getting it,â€� Rahm admitted. Bjorn allowed this atmosphere to breathe. Justin Rose, another veteran, revealed after the victory that their skipper “didn’t fill our week with pointless team meetingsâ€� and “he trusted us to be 12 players that would come together working towards the same common goal.â€� They repaid him for that faith. Everything they did, they did as a team. And they enjoyed it. Even the monotonous staged team photos early in the week the Europeans turned up on time, laughing, loving every minute of it. On the flip side the Americans were late and appeared hardly interested. Seems trivial right? But it speaks to the bond the Europeans possess. All in, all together. The types of personalities on the American team are vast. A scientist in DeChambeau. A free wheeler in Bubba Watson. Mr. Nice Guys Tony Finau and Webb Simpson. Old school veterans in Woods and Mickelson. Pulseless machine-like stellar athletes Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka. Young millennials like Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth. And the brash and confident Reed. They came together as one for the most part but the cracks appeared when team pairings were not as expected in some quarters. The American players have a huge say in their pods and pairings – something that was born out of the task force following the 2014 loss in Scotland. But does this in itself open the door for the thinking to be not as team oriented as it should be? This was shown – most notably – when Furyk split one of the best American pairings in Ryder Cup history to disastrous results. Spieth and Reed had proven a huge thorn in the side of both Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup opponents, but instead Reed went out with Woods and was 0-2 with the veteran. Spieth preferred to be with his friend Thomas, and they combined to be 3-1, but in doing so split another proven pairing of Thomas and Fowler. To his credit, Furyk owned the decision and hindsight is always 20/20. Bjorn masterfully put Tommy Fleetwood with Molinari and the two combined to be the first European pair to go 4-0 in team play. Moli-Wood – as they have been affectionately called – became the darlings of the Ryder Cup. They were the pair who claimed the last point in the first session Friday to make it 3-1 against the USA, avoiding the sweep. It sparked the home team into action and they swept the afternoon before maintaining the rage. As awesome as they were, Bjorn once again stressed they were always team first. Europe had read all of the talk about the Americans before the Ryder Cup began. In fact they used one particular story suggesting America would dominate team golf for over a decade as extra motivation. Aside from that though, they didn’t care what was happening across the fairway from them. “The whole team has been part of this. And I think it’s very easy to sum it up: Some play five matches and some play two matches, but they all contribute,â€� Bjorn said. “We got it right this week. We worked as a team and we knew we were up against very strong opponents, but we went out on the golf course and believed in ourselves and what we stand for as a team. “We never, ever looked towards their team and what they were about. We were about us as a team and what we do. “This is the best team room I’ve ever been in. It was calm. It was determined. It was focused. It was fun. Everything that this Ryder Cup was, is what I think The Ryder Cup should be about for a European Team.â€�

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