Mickelson, who has not filled the void left by Woods, had mixed results in Kentucky. Photo: Harry How/Getty Images
With only one victory in his four years on tour, it's still fair to say Mahan suffers from a relative lack of putting and short-game skill that he will need to get to the next level. But at Valhalla he holed more mid-range putts than perhaps any other American, and in the crucial singles rammed home a 40-foot seagoer on the 17th for birdie in the singles that ensured a half against Paul Casey.
Mahan had opened that match by missing a four-footer for par on the first to go 1 down. But instead of becoming tentative or even panicky on the greens, Mahan went on a sustained run of 10- and 15-footers that kept the explosive Casey at bay. "I stroked it well when I had to," said a quietly proud Mahan afterward, who (though undefeated) would have been undisputed man of the match if he hadn't given Casey an opening to salvage a half by driving into the water on 18.
But by then the U.S. had a firm grip on the leader board, even though veterans Leonard and Mickelson were losing their singles to Robert Karlsson and Justin Rose in the next two matches. While Rose was six under for 16 holes in defeating Mickelson, 3 and 2, it was perplexing to see Mickelson, Azinger's designated veteran horse in the absence of Woods, once again fall short in the Ryder Cup. His 1-2-2 record for the week means he has only two wins in his last 16 Ryder Cup matches.
"Phil played great at some important times," said a loyal Azinger. "His contributions, on and off the course, went well beyond his record."
No question the good Mickelson carried Kim for long stretches at some crucial moments. But the bad Phil still shows up too often, surprising after a year and a half of honing supposedly significant swing changes under Butch Harmon. As much as his supporters tend to point to his putting, it is more the work he leaves himself recovering from wild shots that has flattened Mickelson's career curve and kept him from ever truly threatening for the No. 1 ranking, even with Woods absent.
Indeed, with guys such as Kim and Mahan coming up fast, not to mention a temporarily tired but determined-to-improve Padraig Harrington setting his sights on a career Grand Slam, the 38-year-old Mickelson -- with no individual bounce from his play at the Ryder Cup success to build on -- is going to have to get going to hang on to No. 2.
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