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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Ewan Murray

Phil Mickelson continues to pay a heavy price for chasing Saudi payday

Phil Mickelson during a practice round at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in Saudi Arabia
Phil Mickelson will not defend his US PGA Championship title. Photograph: Oisin Keniry/Getty Images

In his newly published and excellent book Tiger and Phil: Golf’s Most Fascinating Rivalry, Bob Harig describes the scene in the scoring tent at the conclusion of the 2002 US PGA Championship. That Rich Beem makes no worse than a bogey at the 72nd hole ensures a surprise one-stoke victory over Tiger Woods. Fred Funk looks on, bemused, as Woods bellows: “Yes.” Prompted to clarify his obscure outburst, Woods says: “That’s Rich Beem one, Phil Mickelson zero.”

Lefty remained without a major title. The scale of antipathy between Mickelson and Woods was illustrated by the latter’s strange display of emotion.

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