The Loop

PGA Championship 2019: Phil Mickelson inexplicably hits 3-wood from impossible lie, proves he knows what he's doing

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — It doesn't matter if he's shooting a 63 or a 76, Phil Mickelson always has a flair for the dramatic. Put him in front of a New York crowd and you can guarantee he'll go out of his way to produce as many theatrics as possible.

This was precisely the case late in his final round on Sunday at Bethpage Black, one Mickleson had already ejected from at four over through 15 holes. While he probably can't wait to finish this week off and get the hell off Long Island, he's not just gonna stop doing Phil things. At the par-4 16th, following a woeful drive that he blocked into some high rough between 15 and 16 fairways, Lefty went full Lefty, pulling out a 3-wood despite having what looked like an impossible lie. Knowing that this shot could end up anywhere, Mickelson could be heard saying "heads up" to the gallery, followed by "I don't know which way to move them [the fans], I don't know where this is going to go."

Well, he must have known he could have gotten some decent wood on it, otherwise this would rank up there with the dumbest club choices he's ever made. In peak Phil fashion, he proved he knew exactly what he's doing. Here's the full video captured by a fan close by (the good stuff starts around the one-minute mark):

Mickelson's hack out wound up going nearly 160 yards, landing in the middle of the fairway and leaving him with about 80 yards to the stick. All things considered, this was a ridiculous escape, and he followed by sticking one right next to the hole that spun back to nine feet. What would have been an epic par to add to the Mickelsonian par video collection was spoiled as Lefty's putt hooked right and missed on the low side. He made bogey, then two more bogeys at 17 and 18 to card a second straight 76. Ouch.

He did, however, make an incredible par save earlier in the round at the par-4 10th. As you can see, he spent a lot of time in the high grass on Sunday:

This was one of the few highlights of the week for the five-time major champion, who managed to still produce plenty of roars from the New York galleries despite finishing with a 12-over total on the week. He did shatter his thumbs up record though, so there's that.