The Loop

Video: Phil Mickelson breaks down his crazy cartpath shot

March 07, 2013

Pop quiz: Your golf ball has come to rest on a cartpath some 30 yards from the green. What do you do?

The obvious answer is to find your nearest point of relief and take a drop. Obvious if your name isn't Phil Mickelson, that is.

On the 17th hole in the first round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship, Mickelson found himself in that position after a cartpath-aided 450-yard drive. His remarkable up-and-down for birdie was part of a five-under-par 67 that has him one shot off the lead, but his performance afterward was even better.

When asked to analyze his latest highlight-reel shot, Mickelson gave an impromptu full lesson. Check it out:

It's tough to pinpoint the best part of the sound bite, but the "Pause it for one second, Tommy, if you can," line as Mickelson gets ready to break it all down is tough to beat. The four-time major champion still has plenty of game on the course, but if he's thinking about getting into TV in the future, today was one heck of an audition.