Claude Harmon has revealed what Phil Mickelson plans on doing at the U.S. Open to avoid facing a “very difficult” shot at Pinehurst No.2.
The six-time major winner is seeking to end his U.S. Open heartache this week after previously finishing runner-up or tied second six times.
Mickelson’s most famous fumble in the year’s most challenging major came during the 2006 event at Winged Foot. The lefty made a double bogey on the 72nd hole to hand Geoff Ogilvy the title.
Now, with a career Grand Slam still at the forefront of Mickelson’s mind, the 53-year-old is looking to contend at Pinehurst this week.
Phil Mickelson’s game plan for the 2024 US Open
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Harmon spent time on the course during the early part of the week and spoke to the six-time major winner ahead of Thursday’s first round.
“Talking to Phil about the way he thinks about the golf course,” he told the Son of Butch Podcast. “He said that it takes a lot of discipline, and what he meant by that was if you do hit it offline, how aggressive are you on the next shot?”
Harmon revealed that Mickelson feels that missing the fairway is non-negotiable.
He added: “If you bomb one off the tee, you could have a much shorter club in your hand, but Phil was saying that he thinks the strategy and the mind games that this course plays is, let’s say you miss the fairway and have a short club in your hand, only 120 yards away, it is probably only going to be a wedge and they are going to say do I need to be aggressive.
“The problem is if you miss the green left or over the green, it is very difficult to get those up and down and difficult to make pars.”
Looking to lay up short and attack from the front of the greens appears to be Mickelson’s plan.
“So Phil was saying that if you get in trouble off the tee, lay it up short,” Harmon added. “He was thinking you can score from the front of these greens, it is very difficult if you are left, right or long.”
Phil Mickelson must rediscover short-game brilliance around Pinehurst No.2
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Behind the great Seve Ballesteros, Mickelson’s short game is arguably the best the sport has ever seen.
The lefty’s ability to get up and down from the most unlikely spots has become a hallmark of his game over the years, and if he’s to contend at Pinehurst, his work around the greens must be razor-sharp.
Mickelson would undoubtedly be a popular winner in North Carolina this week. Despite his controversial move to LIV Golf in 2022, the American still has support stateside and will be well-backed if he finds himself in contention over the weekend.
Witnessing the 2021 PGA Championship winner complete the career Grand Slam at Pinehurst would be pretty spectacular.
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