While Phil Mickelson was slightly unlucky to come along in the same era as Tiger Woods, there is no doubt at all that Lefty will be remembered as one of the greatest characters the game has ever seen.
Phil Mickelson is not the player he once was, having had a disappointing time since moving to LIV Golf. But he is one of those players who is always going to attract large crowds due to the unpredictability of the 54-year-old’s game.
While his fans would prefer to see him in the fairway, there is always likely to be a sense of real excitement when Mickelson is faced with a near impossible shot. Mickelson himself, seemed to relish the chance to produce a moment of magic from a ridiculous position.
So it is not hard to see why Seve Ballesteros was his idol as a youngster. Ballesteros was arguably one of the most charismatic figures golf has ever had. It says everything that he remains such an important part of the European Ryder Cup team nearly 30 years after his most recent appearance as a player and nearly 14 years after his untimely death.
Phil Mickelson reveals what it was like to meet Seve Ballesteros for the first time
Mickelson said Ballesteros had the best short game he had ever seen. And now speaking in a video on his own YouTube channel, the six-time major champion revealed what it was like when he actually met the Spaniard for the very first time.
“I loved Seve’s swing, I loved his short game, I loved the way he played, I loved his flair, I loved the way he went for it, his aggressive nature, and his shot-making ability. And I loved playing his way. So Seve’s the guy I look up to,” he said.
“And I had some really cool experiences, the first was when I was 17 and got into my first PGA Tour event at the Farmers here in San Diego. And you know when you meet your idol and somebody you really look up to, it really means a lot when they don’t let you down. And he was awesome.
“We both represented Hugo Boss and we did this photoshoot with Jules Alexander, a very famous photographer, who did all those Hogan photos. He shot for us, and so Seve and I were doing this commercial along with Bernhard Langer. In between shoots, we would have contests out of this bunkers, like five iron shots and do this shot and stuff. And for me, it was a surreal moment playing those shots with the guy that I looked up to.
“One of those cool career, life moments that I had a chance to spend with him. It really meant a lot to me to meet him and have him not let you down, be as cool as he was.”
How Ballesteros continues to capture the imagination nearly 30 years after his last win
Like Mickelson, Ballesteros was one of the most talented players of his generation. But it is often stories of the shots he would hit from the most unusual places which really keep fans hooked.
Jack Nicklaus included Ballesteros’ imagination when building his dream golfer. And it is not difficult to see why.
Whether it be from a car park, or hitting out of a bush while on his knees, or even over a wall from the most impossible angle to so nearly win in Switzerland, Ballesteros appeared to have the ability to always get himself out of any danger on a golf course.
But Ballesteros would not simply just get himself out of danger, he would do so in a way which ultimately left the galleries mesmerised and inspired.
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