Two Words: Butch Harmon

Fact:  Phil Mickelson won the 2013 British Open by shooting a brilliant final-round 66, described by Mickelson as the best round of golf he had ever played and recognized by some in sports media as one of the finest final rounds in golf majors’ history.

Fact:  Mickelson joins the short list of golf legends who have won 3 of the 4 majors during their careers, including Raymond Floyd, Tom Watson, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Walter Hagen, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer.

Fact:  Since the U.S. Open in 2008, Mickelson has won two majors, Tiger Woods has won zero.

Fact:  Lefty did not even put the driver in his bag during the 2013 Open Championship.

Fact:  From 1997 through 2002, Tiger Woods won 8 majors.  Woods' victory in the 2001 Masters Tournament made him the first (and only) player to hold all four major professional golf titles at the same time, now known as the “Tiger Slam.”

Fact: Woods won 7 of the 11 majors he entered from the 1999 PGA through the 2002 U.S. Open.  

Fact:  In 2000, Woods won six consecutive tournaments, the longest winning streak since 1948. One of these was the 2000 U.S. Open, where he won by 15 strokes, the largest margin of victory in both U.S. Open history and the history of golf’s major championships.  

Fact:  At age 24, he became the youngest golfer to achieve the career Grand Slam.

Fact: Tiger won eight majors in the six years 1997-2002.  He has won six in the eleven years since then, none in the past five years.  

Fact:  In 1993, Greg Norman won the Open championship at Royal St. Georges with a total score of 267 strokes, which was and remains the record cumulative low score for the British Open.  In early 1994, Norman supplanted Nick Faldo as the number one ranked golfer in the world.  

Common Denominator?  All were coached by Butch Harmon during these career apogees.    

Fact:  I have been researching  much of the media coverage concerning Philly Mick’s British Open win, and I have yet to see anyone writing about Butch Harmon’s connection to Phil and the influence he has had on Phil’s ascent to golf’s pinnacle.  

Opinion: I don’t understand the sports media’s failure to connect the dots here.  Perhaps Harmon is a prickly pear and the sports reporters don’t care for him. I wouldn’t know.  But I am curious.

Opinion:  I personally do not understand why every golf pro doesn’t make a beeline to Butch’s Golf School and beg him to get his/her swing to operate like his other protégés.  

Opinion:  Though not a big fan, I am fairly certain some part of Tiger Woods didn’t give much thanks and actually rues the late November day in 2009 when Elin teed off on the Escalade and perhaps even on Himself as is rumored in the media.

Opinion:  Tiger should really rue the day he walked up to Butch Harmon at the British Open in 2002 and told Butch he didn’t need his help anymore, because Tiger did.

Opinion:  As the charter member of the Golden Bear Majors’ Record Preservation Society, I am eternally grateful Tiger fired Butch Harmon.

Fact:  Phil Mickelson is clutching Butch Harmon closer than anyone in this picture, including the Claret Jug.

Opinion/Maybe Fact:  As well he should.

The following is a parody from my earlier FIGJAM post about Mickelson, here.  The reprise is in honor of Phil’s landmark victory.  

LEFTY

Original song;

SUNNY

Songwriter(s): Bobby Hebb
Copyright:   Bobby Hebb 

Lefty, yesterday my round was shot by rain.
Lefty, saw you on the tube, it really eased the pain.
Now the dark days are gone, and the bright days are here,
My Lefty shoots so far under par.
Lefty, game so true, I love you, man.

Lefty, sorry for the bridesmaid bouquets.
Lefty, sorry for the second places in the majors
Six US Opens, seven in all

Don’t hit the driver and you won one more.
Lefty, game so true, I love you, man.

Lefty, thank you for the lobs you let me see.
Lefty, thank you for the short game wizardry.
My game was wrecked hitting from the sand,
But you gave me hope - You are The Man 
Lefty, game so true, I love you, man.

Lefty, thank you for the smile upon your face.
Lefty, thank you for autographs you sign without fail.
I don’t care if that smile is fake

At least you smile, you give more than take.
Lefty one so true, Yes I love you.

Lefty, yesterday my round was shot by rain.
Lefty, saw you on the tube, it really eased the pain.
Now the dark days are gone, and the bright days are here,
My Lefty shoots so far under par.
Lefty, game so true, I love you, man.

_AMDG^TM

© 2012-13 R.E. Kelly