PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland – Just days after announcing he’d lost 15 pounds Phil Mickelson conceded on Friday at The Open that he continues to search for his lost game.
Mickelson’s second-round 74 left him at 8 over and headed home early for just the fifth time in his Open career. The bigger concern for the 49-year-old is his continued poor play which has led to five missed cuts in his last seven starts.
“I’m playing so bad that I don’t really know what to say. I’m just playing terrible golf,” Mickelson said. “You kind of go through the ups and downs in your career and you figure it out, but I really don’t have any answers right now.”
Full-field scores from the 148th Open Championship
Full coverage of the 148th Open Championship
Mickelson revealed on social media on Sunday that he went through a “hard reset” in recent weeks that included a six-day fast and losing 15 pounds, but that did little for his game at Royal Portrush where he opened with a 76.
Lefty didn’t have any answers on Friday and wasn’t even sure he’d even play next week’s WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
“I don’t know if I need some time away, or if I should try to play through it,” said Mickelson, who is currently committed to the event. “I’ll fly home and take a few days and see how I feel. I love Memphis, I love the course. I love everything about the event. I don’t know if I should just go take a few weeks off, or if I should try to keep playing.”
Mickelson’s decision may be influenced by his position on the season-long points list (30th). He will need a strong finish to the season to keep from missing the Tour Championship for the third time in the last four years.