Mickelson Keeps Riding Wave

Phil Mickelson is from San Diego, not Sheboygan, but judging from the reaction he is getting from the crowds at Whistling Straits, you would have to say he’s just as popular in these parts as dairy products, bratwurst and polka music.

It’s sort of hard for Mickelson to believe, though.

He makes a putt and the cheers rain down from all sides. He walks up a hill and receives a standing ovation. He grins and the crowd melts like a huge pool of fondue.

The way things have been going for Mickelson at the PGA Championship, he probably should be getting used to it all by now. He shot a 67 in the sunshine Saturday and moved from a tie for 14th to a tie for third, four shots behind Vijay Singh.

Of course, the crowd loved every bit of it, roaring at his every move, like when he birdied three of the first four holes and then rolled in a putt that was every inch of 50 feet, allowing him to rescue par.

It was Mickelson’s stage and the crowd clearly was having a hard time getting their fill of Phil.

Someone suggested that Mickelson is on a red carpet stroll, receiving rock star treatment.

That is not such a bad thing, Mickelson said. After making his move closer to the leaders, Mickelson said what he really couldn’t believe was how nice everyone had been to him.

So that’s what has become of Mickelson these days. At 33, he has become the people’s choice. How Mickelson made his way from classic underachiever to the front row of the popularity contest -- seemingly overnight -- is one of the great golf stories of the year.

Mickelson put on a happy face. And then he worked hard in the off-season with his coaches, Rick Smith and Dave Pelz, to redefine his game and his identity, from full-throttle risk-taker to high-percentage smart dude.

Smith said he knew that his primary pupil had paid attention the first time Mickelson played this year. He shot 30 under par and won the Bob Hope.

Of course, when Mickelson went out and won the Masters and acted as if the whole thing was just a four-day carnival ride, that’s when he won over the public.

After he watched Mickelson’s round Saturday, Smith said that Mickelson was playing every bit as good as he was when he came through at Augusta, where he won his first major title.

Maybe there will be another, and soon. It has been a magical Mickelson summer that has a chance to get even better early this evening here at this links course alongside chilly Lake Michigan.

He has a chance to win the PGA Championship and you don’t have to dig very deep to realize that with a couple of breaks -- and perhaps just three fewer shots -- Mickelson would have a chance at the grand slam.

He was second to Retief Goosen at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock, losing by one shot after he made double bogey on the 71st hole. At the British Open, Mickelson opened with a 73 at Royal Troon but closed with 66-68-68 and missed the Todd Hamilton-Ernie Els playoff by one shot.

As far as perception goes, the change in Mickelson is dizzying. He has gone from the guy who never wins a major to the guy who could have won them all. Smith said if Mickelson comes from behind to win today, he’s a cinch to end Tiger Woods’ five-year run as Player of the Year.

That would mean Mickelson has come a very long way. And even if it has taken him a very long time to get this close, you have to give Mickelson some credit for realizing that he and his game needed a drastic overhaul.

Why it took so long, Mickelson freely admits, is that he wasn’t willing to listen to anybody. And besides that, it was too much work. So other than being bull-headed and lazy, there were no other reasons, which is why Mickelson decided to give it a shot.

What was there to lose anyhow, except a couple of bad personality traits?

And so Mickelson is perched right there, in striking distance at the last major championship of the first year of his illumination. He knows he has a lot of ground to make up and it won’t be easy, but if it’s any help, maybe he’ll realize it’s no more difficult than the task he faced to begin the year.

Besides, if he starts slipping, the fans will probably pick him back up and help him to his feet. Winning majors isn’t any popularity contest, but if it was, this one would be over already.