Whatever you think of Phil Mickelson, no-one can deny that he will go down as one of the most talented players the game has ever seen – particularly when Lefty has found himself around the greens.
Phil Mickelson was so popular for so much of his career because of his willingness to take on the shots those outside the ropes dream of being able to hit. Everyone can recall a shot the six-time major champion has produced which he had no right to pull off.
He can have virtually no green to work with, leave himself with an impossible lie, or even find himself playing from an actual hospitality stand, and yet, Mickelson never seems to shy away from the challenge of pulling off the miraculous shot. And quite often, he manages to execute it perfectly. Meanwhile, everyone has probably attempted a backward shot having seen clips of Mickelson making it look so simple.
Perhaps Mickelson would have won even more had he played the percentages a little more often, but there is no doubt that he will leave a legacy as one of the most creative players the game has ever known. So when he picks out a player for having the greatest short game he has ever seen, it makes sense to listen.
Phil Mickelson picks the best short game he’s ever seen
Speaking to Charlie Rose in 2011, Mickelson was asked about the skills around the green of Rory McIlroy, with McIlroy recently stealing the show at that year’s US Open. And he went on to suggest that the best short game he saw belonged to one of his heroes.
“I don’t know Rory’s short game specifically, but he’s got a pretty good short game, and a lot of guys on tour really do. I think the best short game I’ve ever seen was Seve Ballesteros,” he said.
“He played with that charisma and the go-for-it style; his technique and feel and touch and creativeness, the ability to see shots before he tried to play [them].”
What Jack Nicklaus said about Seve Ballesteros
You can certainly see similarities between Mickelson and Ballesteros. Both players had the potential to be wayward off the tee, particularly as the Spaniard reached the latter stages of his career. And yet, their competitive nature made it dangerous to ever rule them out of a hole.
Ballesteros won five majors during his incredible career, with two Masters titles and three Open Championships. They are arguably the two majors where having a remarkable imagination is extremely helpful. Meanwhile, he is perhaps the most significant player in Ryder Cup history, particularly from a European perspective.
Jack Nicklaus picked out Ballesteros’ creativity when putting together a dream golfer during an interview in 2000, so it would appear that he would agree with Mickelson’s view.
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