AKRON, Ohio – Tiger Woods wasn’t the only person slinging text messages across the Atlantic Ocean on the eve of the final round at last month’s Open Championship. Dave Stockton Sr., the putting guru whose list of clients includes Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, was also thumbing inspirational messages to Lefty.
Stockton’s message to Mickelson was simple yet effective, “You are a multiple major champion, play like it.”
Although not as stirring as say a Knute Rockne speech, Stockton’s message must have resonated with Mickelson, who opened with a front-nine 30 in brutal conditions to take a share of the lead at Royal St. George’s before fading on the back nine and finishing three strokes behind Darren Clarke, who received a lengthy text from Woods on Saturday in England.
“I was so proud of him on the front nine because he made so many putts,” said Stockton this week at Firestone. “All these other guys hoping to win a major now, to win as many (as Mickelson) in the Tiger era is really something.”