Last weekend was historical in the golf world with Phil Mickelson becoming the oldest player to ever win a major championship in men’s golf at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course. Mickelson won in convincing fashion having held a five shot lead at one point on Saturday and as much as a four shot lead on the back nine on Sunday. So, where did Mickelson out perform his competitors?
According to stat tracker Arccos, Mickelson outperformed with the driver more than any other part of the game by finishing the week with 1.2 strokes gained off the tee. He did that by averaging 299 yards off the tee for the week as opposed to the field average of 280 yards. That’s pretty impressive at the age of 50 playing against the young guns out there.
Phil said, “You can win at this age, but you are just going to have to work harder.” He also went on to express how he felt it was possible even though everyone else thought it wasn’t. Phil has suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for the last ten years, but has not let that or age stop him. In fact, he explained a bit about how he is able to keep the arthritis in check by fasting for 36 hours every week to reduce inflammation. His passion for the game has not waned and he continues to find ways to play better.
After all isn’t that what the journey is all about?