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Phil Mickelson Is Finally out of His Own Head, Is He in Tiger's?

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Are you working with a new sports psychologist, and did she help you today?" "Maybe and yes."

Phil Mickelson answered a lot of questions both on and off the course after coming from way back on Sunday to win the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, shooting 64 in the final round. In his post-tournament press conference, Mickelson spoke a lot about the change in his mental approach to the game—specifically to his putting—and deflected the question about his recent work with a sports psychologist.
He mentioned, "It's an area I don't like to discuss all that much, but I've had to address it for some of my focus issues."
That said, throughout his press conference, Mickelson continued to beat the drum of a new-found mental stability.

Is Mickelson finally out of his own head? And with his success when paired with Tiger Woods, is Phil possibly in someone else's?
Before we can figure out if Phil has gotten inside Tiger's head, we have to examine what's inside Phil's. Mickelson has ostensibly played two full careers on the PGA Tour. He has always come to the tee box with as much talent as anyone in the game—outside of Woods, perhaps—but early in his career, Mickelson couldn’t get out of his own way. He was constantly trying too many risky shots instead of properly managing the course and letting his natural talent handle the rest.
Later in his career, Mickelson has seemed to go the opposite way. He doesn't shy away from taking risks when he needs to, but he seems to overprepare for every scenario in an effort to avoid the need to take risks.
Today's Phil would rather take a five-wood off the tee to ensure birdie on a par five, then end up with eagle, rather than take a driver in hopes of getting eagle, only to end up in the ocean. That's smart golf, but maybe it wasn't always that way.
A few years ago, it felt like Phil became so meticulous in his preparation that he was overcompensating for a lack of confidence in his natural ability—that he'd have to get by on science instead of artistry. If he could get himself ready for any possible situation on the course before it happened, he wouldn't have to rely on his wits—and nerves—when they were needed the most.


Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
In his 40 career PGA victories, Phil has surely won some tournaments on pure talent and others through meticulous preparation. Following his victory this weekend at Pebble, Phil sounded like he's finally figuring out the balance between those two.
For the rest of the tour, that could be pretty scary.
Of course, the question coming out of Pebble Beach is which Phil we will see the rest of the year. Is this the beginning of a great year for Mickelson, or will we see a fall back to his early-season struggles where he was striking the ball well, but not getting the scores he felt he should have been carding?
Mickelson noted:

It's been a while. Honestly, it's been a while. I felt really good and I've putted really well the first three weeks. Again, not scoring, but I've been putting much better. I just feel like I'm putting like I did when I was a kid. Without the thoughts, without all the mind clutter and so forth. I feel really good with the blade.

Mind clutter?
It's a lonely place inside your brain when only you can hit the shot you envision and only you can sink the 6-foot putts that wobble the knees of any golfer, no matter how great.
There was a change in Mickelson on Sunday, something Woods wishes he could find. There was a confidence with the putter he hasn't had in quite some time.

My putter just feels really good. The great thing is that as each day passes I seem to make more and more putts. I still miss them. I still miss putts, but from the last few years when I wasn't making hardly any, now I feel like I'm making a bunch. And all mechanics are out the window. I feel it's where I want it fundamentally and mechanically to be to the point where I don't worry about stroke and have not now for the last six weeks. So I am really excited about this.
I think it was most evident (Sunday) on the putts I needed to make, that because I didn't have any mechanical thoughts, because I had confidence in my ability to roll it, I was trying to make—and believed I was going to make—these 30 and 40 footers.

As the putter goes, so goes the player.


Mickelson mentioned that he has been mentally lazy over the last few years, not focusing on every single shot. He felt he was lazy on only one shot, on the 15th, on Sunday, and despite an undesirable effort, he was able to refocus and avoid dropping a stroke, by sinking another clutch long putt.
Listening to him talk about his game (and his mind), it feels like a different Phil. Maybe he's just trying to be positive to the media or maybe he was riding a wave after a huge victory. Maybe next week will see a return of the Phil who admitted he was "moping" around the course earlier in the tournament this week. Maybe it's just a few nice rounds and another shiny trophy and not foreshadowing for what's to come for Phil this year.
Or...maybe it is more.
Phil is older and wiser. He was asked if he's concerned about his career now that he's in his 40s, where most players suddenly lose the ability to putt. He replied:

I think that it's difficult when you know the importance of putting to putt freely as you get older. As you sometimes—or I sometimes—overthink it. But I've been able to address that and get back to putting without much mechanical thought and it's made a big difference.

Woods isn't yet 40, but he also knows the importance of putting. The problem on Sunday was that he just couldn't sink one to save his life, or more specifically his round. While Mickelson was sinking 30-footers, Woods was missing too many inside 5 feet to count.
Is it just rust? Has Tiger not had to face enough pressure putts in the last few years to handle the situation? Have the injuries created too much doubt—too much mind clutter?

Harry How/Getty Images
Was Phil inside Tiger's head on Sunday? Did Phil's hot start get to Tiger? Did it make him press on the greens?
Phil talked a lot about getting out to a fast start on Sunday to make sure those behind him felt the pressure of a guy passing them on the leaderboard. Phil explained that it's much harder to hit shots at Pebble when you know you have to.
Is that what happened to Tiger? Or was he so far gone on the greens that it didn't even matter what Phil was doing in the same pairing?
Phil was magnanimous when asked about playing with Woods, telling reporters he loves when the two are paired together:

I am inspired playing with him. I think most people are, but I think he brings out the best in me. Over the last four or five years, I've played some of my best golf playing with him. And I really enjoy it.
Although he brings out the best in me, it's only been the last five years. Before, I got spanked pretty good. So let's not forget the big picture here, I've been beat up, but the last five years I've been able to get some of my best golf out when we play together.

The last five years have also coincided with Woods facing a lot of physical and mental breakdowns. Woods played just 16 tournaments in 2007, winning seven and finishing in the top 10 in 12. In 2008, Woods played in just six tournaments, winning four and finishing in the top 10 in all six. In 2009, Woods came back to play 17 tournaments, finishing in the top 10 in 14 while winning six.


Then things changed. Injuries continued to catch up to Woods and his transgressions off the course seemed to cloud his career on it. Woods played in just 12 tournaments in 2010 with just two top-10 finishes, placing no better than fourth in any tournament.
Last season, Woods played in just nine tournaments, withdrawing from one before he could finish a round and finishing in the top 10 just two times, none better than another fourth-place finish at the Masters.


Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Tiger Woods earned less than a million dollars in prize money in 2010 for the first time since 1996. It's probably unfair to say that Mickelson is in Woods' head. No matter what's in his head, Woods is suddenly trapped inside a tired, battered body.
If you've seen Tiger play over the last few seasons—having gone some 30 months without a PGA Tour victory (though he did win a short-field event in December)—he has looked physically broken at times.
More than anything, Woods seems to lack the focus that defined his career for an entire decade. Guys like Mickelson aren't intimidated by playing with Woods anymore—they thrive on it.
Mickelson loves playing with Woods because it drives him to win; Phil knows he can beat Tiger now.
Nothing was more telling than Mickelson talking during his championship press conference about Woods:

I know that it's not easy to go through something like that because I've been through it. But it can change in one week. Watching him play today, it's going to change in one week. You can see, it's such a night and day difference in his ball striking. He never hooked a shot. He used to hook…you were waiting for it. And now he's just striping it right at his target with a tiny little fade just like he used to do and his iron play looked extremely sharp.

That sure sounds like Mickelson—stronger mentally than he's ever had in his career—giving a motivational speech to Woods. Five years ago, who would have ever seen that coming?
Most importantly, Mickelson talked about how appreciative he is of Woods:

I just am very appreciative of what he's meant to the game of golf over the years and I've said in the past I don't think anybody has benefited more from what he's done for the game than myself and so, I'm appreciative.

Mickelson won Pebble Beach with two great rounds and took home $1,152,000 in prize money. In 1998, just at the beginning of golf's big boom thanks to Woods, Mickelson won at Pebble to take home $450,000, a first prize more than 20 percent bigger than he had ever won to that point in his career.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Mickelson should appreciate Woods, for were it not for this generation's greatest player, Mickelson may have more victories—maybe—but he certainly wouldn't be sitting on nearly $65 million in career PGA Tour earnings. There's a lot to appreciate Woods for, and the attention he still brings to the sport is at the top of the list.
Golf is more important with Tiger Woods, even if he isn't winning and even if he can't hit a putt on Sunday.
Of course, with the way Phil played this week, and with how close he told reporters he thinks Woods is to getting his game back, 2012 could prove to be another 2005, when Woods won six tournaments including two majors, while Mickelson won four tournaments including his second major.
If Mickelson has finally gotten out of his own head, maybe getting into Tiger's will light a spark that hasn't been there in almost three years.
Tiger isn't done winning. Certainly, neither is Mickelson. This could be a fun season.

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