Phil Mickelson entered this week with the longest active made cut streak on the PGA TOUR at 18. The last time he missed a cut was in last season’s FedExCup Playoffs, in the second event at TPC Boston. The streak is over now. And it wasn’t close. Mickelson shot a 7-over 77 Friday to finish The Open Championship at 10 over. “I missed it with flair,â€� Mickelson said. Last month, Mickelson finished solo ninth at the FedEx St. Jude Classic, his best result since March. He followed that with a tie for 20th at The Greenbrier Classic. He was confident when he teed off Thursday – but then he failed to make a single birdie in his opening round while shooting 73. “I thought Thursday I was prepared,â€� Mickelson said. “I felt like I was ready. I thought I had a good game plan. I thought my game was sharp. But obviously it wasn’t.â€� He admitted to failing to make the proper adjustments in how far the ball was traveling on the ground. He also said not playing the Scottish Open the previous week also made a difference. This is the first Open since 2006 in which he did not play in Scotland the previous week. “This further proves that when I don’t play the week before a major, I oftentimes am not as sharp and ready to play as I need to be,â€� said Mickelson, who won the Scottish Open in 2013, the week before winning The Open for the first time. Mickelson, still seeking his first title since his Open victory, will now focus on the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship, his next two starts before the FedExCup Playoffs begin. “I’ve really been hitting the ball well and playing well,â€� Mickelson said. “So rather than dwell on two rough days here, I’ll go back home and get ready for these upcoming events.â€� Charles Howell III and Louis Oosthuizen were next on the active made cut streak with 17 each, but they were outside the projected cut line Friday afternoon. Martin Kaymer, inside the projected cut, entered the week with 16 consecutive made cuts.
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