Phil Mickelson hits moving ball, incurs two-shot penalty at U.S. Open

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. – When Phil Mickelson arrived at the 13th hole, it was hard to believe his week could get any worse. He was 10 over par after four consecutive bogeys that ended any chance of a Saturday charge at Shinnecock Hills. Then Mickelson committed a shocking act that produced another unforgettable moment in a U.S. Open career defined by disappointment. After taking four shots to reach the green, his 19-foot putt looked like it was about to roll off the front of the putting surface. Mickelson jogged after his ball and hit it while it was still in motion. Mickelson incurred a two-shot penalty under Rule 14-5, which states that a player must not make a stroke at a ball that is moving. He then two-putted for a sextuple-bogey 10. He seemed surprised by the backlash to his actions, insisting that he was simply using the rules to his advantage. “I don’t mean to disrespect anybody. I know it’s a two-shot penalty,� Mickelson said. “At that time, I just didn’t feel like going back and forth and hitting the same shot over. I took the two-shot penalty and moved on. It’s my understanding of the rules. I’ve had multiple times where I’ve wanted to do that. I just finally did.� Mickelson, who celebrated his 48th birthday on Saturday, signed for an 81 that left him at 17-over 227 (77-69-81). He had played Friday’s final 15 holes in 3 under just to make the cut and keep his slim chances of winning his first U.S. Open alive. Mickelson, 48, needs to win his national championship to complete the career Grand Slam. He has a record six runners-up in the event. The 81 matched Mickelson’s highest round at the U.S. Open. He shot a second-round 81 to miss the cut in his pro debut in 1992 at Pebble Beach. John Daly committed a similar infraction in the 1999 U.S. Open. He whacked a ball out of frustration as it was rolling off of one of Pinehurst’s crowned greens. Mickelson said that wasn’t his motive, though. “I don’t feel like it was frustration that crept over,� Mickelson said. “I had fun. (Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston) and I had a great time today. People here have been tremendous. They have made my birthday very special and I’m very appreciative of that. … I just took two shots and moved on because I didn’t want to keep hitting it back and forth. That’s all there is to it.� Johnston, who shot 82 Saturday while playing alongside Mickelson, called Mickelson’s move “one of the mad moments.� “We were both obviously really struggling,� Johnston said. “It was funny because I didn’t think he hit that bad of a chip shot from behind the green in the first place. And as it released and went through, I thought, ‘Wow, that is seriously quick.’ “It wasn’t a (way) of saying, ‘I’ve had enough’ or this and that. It just happened. I said, ‘That’s one of the strangest things I’ve ever seen,’ and then just started laughing, to be honest.� Some insisted that Mickelson’s actions were against the spirit of the law and could be considered a “major breach� of the Rules of Golf, which result in disqualification.  Rule 1-2, titled “Exerting Influence on Movement of Ball or Altering Physical Conditions,� states, “A player must not (i) take an action with the intent to influence the movement of a ball in play or (ii) alter physical conditions with the intent of affecting the playing of a hole.� John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships and governance, said the tournament’s rules committee quickly convened and unanimously determined that Mickelson’s actions did not fit under that category. “He didn’t deflect it or stop it. He played a moving ball,� Bodenhamer said. “He made a stroke at a moving ball, which is explicitly covered under 14-5. So it’s not necessary to move on to (Rule) 1-2. It’s covered under 14-5.�

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