Phil Mickelson’s problems at Pebble Beach are what make golf great

Phil Mickelson was a big topic of discussion during our live chat Monday about the Northern Trust Open and the PGA Tour.

Times golf writer Chris Dufresne used Mickelson as an example of how golf humanizes a person.

“Phil to me is one of the most fascinating people to watch,” Dufresne said. “What happened to him on No. 18 at Pebble Beach just epitomizes not only how hard the game of golf is, but it humanizes people.

“To see someone who shoots a 60 and has one of the great rounds in PGA history and then the next week falling on his rear and looking for his ball on 18 and taking an 8, and then coming back the next day and doing the exact same thing, on the exact same hole, and taking a double bogey.

“That fascinates me about golf, because it’s the one sport where you are one shot from looking like a fool. Every time you put the ball on the tee, you are one shot from looking like the worst player in the world instead of the best player in the world.”

It was a good discussion, with a lot of insight for golf fans. You can watch the full discussion here.

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