You Can Bet Mickelson Wasn’t Watching

What do you do the day after winning the U.S. Open in surprising fashion? If you’re Geoff Ogilvy, you read the top 10 list for CBS’ “The Late Show With David Letterman.”

A sampling:

* “I wish I hadn’t put all my money on Phil Mickelson.”

* “Even I’ve never heard of me.”

* “I hope this victory isn’t overshadowed by America’s World Cup excitement.”

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Trivia time: Where did Winged Foot Golf Club, site of the U.S. Open, get its name?

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“Mulligan” origin: According to Pete Georgiady in the official U.S. Open program, the “mulligan” may trace its history to businessman David Mulligan, who owned multiple hotels and became a Winged Foot member around 1937.

“Mulligan was a notoriously slow starter with a propensity to foozle his drive on the first tee,” Georgiady wrote. “Without a second thought, he would tee up another and hit away.”

The late Mal Florence, longtime sportswriter for The Times, took so many mulligans from all over the course that his friends called them “maligans.”

Whatever they’re called, Mickelson sure could have used one on the 18th tee Sunday.

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National embarrassment: A sampling of newspaper headlines Monday:

“Phil’s Open Wound” -- Philadelphia Daily News

“Major Malfunction” -- Orlando Sentinel

“Phil Goes Belly Up ... Tin Cup Style” -- Toronto Sun

“Major Meltdown” seemed to be the most common phrase.

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From dream to nightmare: Mickelson said that as a child he had always dreamed of winning a U.S. Open. On Sunday, it became an “unfulphilled” dream.

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Ah, the memories: The collapses of Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie on the 18th hole Sunday probably will be talked about -- and laughed about -- for years.

Pointing out that all Montgomerie or Mickelson needed to do was make a par four, Mike Downey of the Chicago Tribune wrote, “All Ogilvy had to do was stand and watch while the comedy duo of Monty and Lefty staged a golf scene as funny as any since Ed Norton demonstrated to Ralph Kramden how to address the ball: ‘Hello, ball.’ ”

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Looking back: On this day in 1966, Billy Casper beat Arnold Palmer by four strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. The day before, in one of the more memorable U.S. Open collapses, Palmer let a seven-stroke lead slip away over the final nine holes to force the playoff.

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Trivia answer: The group that founded the country club in the 1920s came from the New York Athletic Club, whose logo was the winged foot of the Roman god Mercury.

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And finally: Of the Dallas Mavericks’ one-point, overtime loss in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night and the effect it had on their coach, David Thomas of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote: “Avery Johnson had to have a helpless feeling. Kind of like the caddie for Phil Mickelson.”

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Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.