Newsmaker of the Year No. 4: Phil Mickelson

Within minutes of his unlikely victory at the Open Championship Phil Mickelson had already settled into his normal routine as the smartest person in the room.

Just as the media and masses were trying to digest Lefty’s Scottish Slam – victories in consecutive weeks on links courses – the man himself had already compartmentalized the claret jug and moved on to the next mountain.

“If I'm able to win the U.S. Open and complete the career Grand Slam, I think that that's the sign of the complete great player. And I'm a leg away (U.S. Open). And it's been a tough leg for me,” he allowed in the moments following his Open triumph.

“There’s five players that have done that. And those five players are the greats of the game. You look at them with a different light. And if I were able to ever win a U.S. Open, and I'm very hopeful that I will, but it has been elusive for me. And yet this championship has been much harder for me to get.”

That kind of instant perspective is why Mickelson is among 2013’s top newsmakers. The truth is it’s why he’s always among the year’s top newsmakers.

His on-course play aside – an eclectic card in ’13 ranging from his brilliant performances at the Open Championship and Waste Management Phoenix Open to relatively lackluster starts at the Masters and throughout the FedEx Cup playoffs – it is Lefty’s keen sense for the dramatic that defies the golf world to look away.

He lipped out for a 59 in Round 1 at TPC Scottsdale, signed for a second-round 79 at Bay Hill and arrived at the U.S. Open, albeit a tad delayed following a red-eye flight on the eve of the opening round to attend the eighth-grade graduation of his oldest daughter back home in Southern California, wielding a juiced up fairway wood and a dialed down game plan.

“I knew he wasn’t going to try to hit a driver, which as you know with Phil is a good thing because that means he doesn’t try to bomb the thing 400 yards,” swing coach Butch Harmon said as Mickelson set out on Sunday at Merion with a one-stroke lead.

Mickelson’s heartbreaking history at his national championship appeared to be headed for a new chapter when he holed out a wedge shot for eagle at the par-4 10th to take the lead. But he miss-clubbed at the 13th hole, failed to convert a birdie putt at the 16th and watched the award ceremony for the sixth time from the bridesmaid’s box.

There could have been a Merion malaise, an emotional lull after coming so close to the one championship he covets the most . . . again. And, to be honest, it’s not as though many outside Camp Lefty considered the Open Championship a viable option given the 43-year-old’s pedestrian record at the game’s oldest tilt.

In 17 trips across the Atlantic, Mickelson had just two top-10 finishes in the Open and before 2011, when he finished a distant second to Darren Clarke, the ancient links didn’t seem to be his brand of Scotch – all of which makes Mickelson’s fairytale fortnight in Scotland so significant.

He won the Scottish Open in a playoff and carded what many considered the most inspiring final round of the year – a 66 that was capped by birdies at the 71st and 72nd hole – at Muirfield to etch his name onto the claret jug.

“After you work with a guy for 21 years, it’s pretty cool when you see him play the best round of golf he’s ever played in the last round of the British Open,” an emotional Jim “Bones” Mackay said.

Who knew the man who was one good bounce away from an U.S. Open title at Winged Foot or Merion just needed the burnt and bouncy turf of Muirfield to put his career into a final approach to greatness?

Even as Mickelson’s play dropped off late in the season he continued to make headlines, announcing in September he was considering cutting his schedule by as much as 25 percent in future years “in an effort to play at a high level when I do play because I know that I’m not able to do it 25 weeks a year,” he said.

For Mickelson the scheduling makeover is an ode to the obvious. Next year’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst marks the 15th anniversary of Lefty’s first near miss at the event when he lost to Payne Stewart on the Donald Ross gem.

It’s why, with his signature flare for the dramatic, Mickelson’s mind immediately raced ahead even as he waited adjacent the 18th green at Muirfield to accept the claret jug.

“I never knew if I would be able to win this tournament. I hoped and believed but I never knew it,” he said.

Muirfield was more than a victory for Mickelson, it was a seminal moment; and as is normally the case with Lefty, he figured it out long before the rest of us.

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'Golfboard' aims to make golf a cooler sport with skateboard-like device

SKATEBOARDERS and golfers may not normally have much in common, but a US entrepreneur hopes to appeal to both sporting types with a new device that lets you "surf" the fairways.

The GolfBoard, demonstrated at a recent charity event in California, looks like a large motorised skateboard but can comfortably carry a golfer and his clubs around 18 holes, according to its makers.

The innovative device aims to replace the golf cart as the smart way to get around a course, speeding up the game and offering players a snowboard-style work out in between playing shots.

"It will do for golfing what snowboarding did for skiing," said Don Wildman, a 80-year-old fitness club founder and Malibu resident who came up with the idea, giving a stark assessment of golf's current appeal.

"It's an old man's sport. I know if I had kids, they would really like to come out and play golf if they got to ride around on... an electric skateboard," he said in the clubhouse of the Malibu Country Club.

Paul Hodge, who heads the company that makes the device, is even more blunt.

"If you really want the industry to grow, and to be accepted by the mass market, you need to kill that stodgy conservative attitude... and you need to make it fun... and attract the younger crowds," he said.

"Forward-thinking people in the golf industry right now realise you can't focus on what was the game like 100 years ago. You need to focus on, what's the game going to be like in the future?"

The board, 38cm wide with 9cm wide tyres, can ride up to 36 holes without a recharge.

It is designed so that, even for a heavy golfer weighing more than 110kg on a very hilly course, it can go at least 18 holes.

It can reach speeds of up to 19km/h, roughly the equivalent of a golf cart.

Not everyone is convinced, even though the device has yet to be widely available for people to test out.

"This is at best a gimmick, and I can't think of a single course I play at which would even allow such a thing on the course," said one user of online golf forum thesandtrap.com.

"Their liability insurance policies alone would prohibit it," he said, while another commented: "I'm not sure where you come from, but in NY most people can barely manage to get on an escalator without killing themselves and others."

But Hodge said he already has orders for 2000 GolfBoards, and mass production of the devices - which retail at $3500 ($A3920) each - will begin in January, with a capacity of 1000 a month.

"Now we're moving to mass manufacturing to fill the demand that we've created," he said.

The target users are aged 15-40, he said. "But we've had a surprising interest from golfers much older than that. The standup (handle) bar that we've added makes it easy for anybody to ride .. that's really opened up the demographic.

"So you don't need to have a really strong athletic background to be able to ride it but it's certainly more challenging when you take the bar off."

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Henrik Stenson is looking to break his major duck after a record-breaking year on tour

Henrik Stenson is looking to add a major title to his growing CV after a record-breaking year on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Swede dominated the sport from the summer, chalking up seven top 10s from his final nine events on his way to securing the Race To Dubai title and the FedEx Cup.

Stenson also topped up his bank balance to the tune of 1m euros with victory in the DP World Tour Championship at Dubai November but it his showing in the majors which gives him hope for the coming year.

Second to Phil Mickelson in The Open at Muirfield was followed by a third-placed showing at the USPGA and he believes he now has the game to see him break his duck in 2014.

"From the US Open onwards I was on a really, really good run," he told Sky Sports News.

"Obviously my game was in good shape but my attitude and state of mind was phenomenal and the success I have had is down to the mental state I was in over that period.

"But you have to have a good golf game to back it up as well, and it all came together for me in 2013.

"I took so many positives out of my second place at The Open and third at the US PGA and that is what I will be trying to build on for next year, try to up my game that little bit more to put myself right in the mix."

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Ko's Kiwi allegience complicates coaching change

Lydia Ko’s decision to drop the only coach the 16-year-old has ever known is creating a giant stir back in New Zealand.

Even Kiwi caddie Steve Williams, who knows something about controversial splits, weighed in with strong words on news that Ko is leaving Guy Wilson of New Zealand’s Institute of Golf. Williams called the move “shocking” and “unethical” in an interview with Radio New Zealand.

Ko will be going to work with David Leadbetter, who told GolfChannel.com Monday that he was well aware of the sensitivities that would be involved with Ko making a switch.

“We were a little reluctant,” Leadbetter told GolfChannel.com. “We were very aware of the relationship she had with her coach, and we treaded lightly, but they approached us. When somebody of that ilk asks, you don’t turn them down.”

There’s more behind the emotional reaction to Ko’s decision than just coaching implications. For New Zealanders, it’s about her Kiwi connections and nationalistic pride. In fact, in presenting news of the coaching change, a Television New Zealand reporter asked if it might “signal a shift away from New Zealand Golf.”

Ko is something of a national treasure in New Zealand, and her rise in fame has brought with it concerns over loyalties and how she plans to align herself in the future. During Ko’s first news conference after announcing she was turning pro in October, New Zealand media peppered her with questions about where she planned to establish her professional base and even what nationalistic affiliation she planned for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

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Leadbetter: Not about re-inventing Ko's swing

David Leadbetter says he won’t be looking to overhaul Lydia Ko’s swing in any way as her new coach, but he and Sean Hogan won’t be afraid to make some changes when needed.

In fact, they did last month when Ko, 16, came to visit Leadbetter and Hogan, a Leadbetter staff instructor, for three days at ChampionsGate in Orlando, Fla.

“We listened to her, and one area of concern she had was that under pressure, sometimes she would hit an odd hook, where she had the club face shut,” Leadbetter said.

Leadbetter said they worked on changes to address her concerns before she left for the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters in Taiwan. She won the event, the fifth professional title of her career, her third this year.

“She seemed like she was very happy with the changes,” Leadbetter said.

Leadbetter said he believes Ko has no weaknesses.

“This isn’t about re-inventing her swing,” Leadbetter said. “It’s about guiding, keeping her on track.”

Ko’s move to Leadbetter created an emotional reaction back in New Zealand, where Ko dropped Guy Wilson, the only coach she had ever known. Leadbetter said his staff has been in contact via the Internet with Wilson.

“We were very open with him, and he with us,” Leadbetter said.

Leadbetter said he understands the sensitivities that come with Ko’s coaching switch. He expects hard scrutiny given the caliber of player he’s getting.

“If she plays well, it will be because she’s a great player,” Leadbetter said. “If she doesn’t, we will be the bad guys.”

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Leadbetter to tread cautiously with Ko

Cautious would be the word used to describe David Leadbetter when first approached about working with 16-year-old phenom, Lydia Ko.

As he said internally to swing coach Sean Hogan, taking on Ko at this point in her almost mystical career, with a seemingly flawless "metronome swing," was a no-win situation.

His first words to the Ko camp reflected that. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Leadbetter said, knowing the success rate Ko already has working with Guy Wilson of New Zealand. Wilson has been Ko's only instructor since age 5 and a decade later she won the Women's Canadian Open as an amateur at age 15.

But Wilson reportedly wasn't going to travel full time and Ko needed a swing coach based in the United States. According to Leadbetter, Ko liked the way Hee Young Park swung the club, and Park, a winner of the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic and runner up in the Women's British Open, was one of Hogan's students.

"She liked her action," Leadbetter said.

Following her pro debut at the CME Group Titleholders, Ko worked with Leadbetter and Hogan for three days at Leadbetter's base at Champions Gate in Florida. The Ko camp felt her clubface was slightly shut at the top. Leadbetter told them that Mickey Wright had a slightly closed clubface at the top of her backswing. Without making major adjustments, he changed her grip and moved her close to the ball and Ko went on to win the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters in Taiwan in her second start as a professional.

Leadbetter had been watching Ko during competitive rounds with Suzann Pettersen, who he has coached to the No. 2 ranking, and came away impressed with Lydia's lack of fear.

"She has an unbelievable temperament; nothing rattles her," Leadbetter said. "Kelly, my wife, said it looks like she sort of walks on water. There is this aura about her and I think she can be one of the greats. She reminds me so much of Annika."

Leadbetter's concern isn't technical as much as it is the wear and tear on a 16-year-old. He sees a wonderful future if the team behind Ko doesn't push her too hard and paces her correctly. He speaks from experience, being around Michelle Wie for the same phase of her career that Ko is now entering. "This girl's impressive." Leadbetter said of the already ranked No. 4 player in the world, as she heads into her first year of fully exempt status on the LPGA Tour. "You just hope they don't push the burnout button."

They are pushing buttons, though, playing the change game the same way Lydia plays golf. With no fear.

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Kaymer drops coach Cowen

Former World No 1 Martin Kaymer has decided to part ways with his coach Pete Cowen at the end of the year.

Kaymer will continue to work with long-time coach Guenter Kessler, but Cowen will no longer be helping him with his short game.

"The work with Pete has brought me a great deal and extended my options on the golf course," the German told dpa.

"But looking at the results I have to be self-critical and say that they were not to my satisfaction."

Kaymer did not win in 2013 and is currently 39th in the world rankings.

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Justin Rose looks back on the experience of winning his first major title

Justin Rose has revealed how he kept his emotions under control as he reflected on a memorable 2013 that yielded his first major title.

The 33-year-old became the first Englishman to win the US Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970 when he pulled off a remarkable two-shot triumph at Merion in June.

Rose insisted the win was a "natural progression" after improving his all-round game over the last three years, and he admitted his added length off the tee and steadfast belief in his ability were crucial to his success.

"It's been a great year," he said. "I think all golfers agree that if you win a major championship it's a great year no matter what else happens.

"I came out of the blocks fast in Abu Dhabi in January and played some good golf. I played with Ernie Els over the first two rounds and he gave me some great compliments.

"He said to my caddie that if I kept doing what I was doing, I would win a major.

"I just believed my game was good enough and my skill set was well-rounded enough, I just needed to be mentally sharp. That's were I can certainly improve. I also hit the ball a little further this year, which was an element of my game I added.

"I knew I was on a pretty good trend, from 2010 to 2012 I thought I was getting better as a player and I was winning bigger tournaments. The natural progression for me was to then win a major championship, so 2013 has continued that trend."

Rose also revealed that playing Merion the week before the tournament was invaluable in learning how to tackle the famed layout.

"I was there for three days, and there was nobody else out there," he said. "No crowd, hardly any other players, and I fell in love with the golf course.

"I developed a great game plan, and I felt like I understood how to play the course. It's quite a quirky golf course."

Rose battled for the lead with fan-favourite Phil Mickelson over the final day before pulling off two of the best shots of his career at the 18th - a huge drive that split the fairway followed by a pure four-iron approach that shaved the hole before settling in the rear fringe.

"I knew I was right there, and I had as good a chance as anybody," he said. "I could hear what Phil was doing because obviously the crowd was so much on his side. I just knew that I had to keep hitting good golf shots.

"But I was prepared to put myself out there and stick my neck out and risk the upset of losing a major because that's what you have to do.

"You can't ignore that last shot. You keep your head down and keep plugging away, but when it's that last shot, that's really going to make the difference.

"You just have to take a deep breath, take a smooth practice swing and just really trust your training at that point.

"What I did on that 18th hole which really helped was that I didn't try to steer a shot in or over-control anything. I just trusted myself and my mechanics and let it happen.

"That's easier said than done under that pressure. I had a five-minute wait standing by my ball on the final fairway. The 18th at Merion is an iconic hole anyway, obviously with that Ben Hogan photograph we've all grown up seeing millions of times.

"Suddenly it was my chance - it was me standing in the middle of that fairway. I knew exactly where I was at the time and knew exactly what I needed to do. That's what makes it so rewarding, knowing that you have pulled off the shot when you've really had to.

"I think I'm still in the surreal phase when I look at that trophy. Soon it will be a replica, unless I win it again next year, but that's the one that Hogan, Tiger, Jack and Arnold all held so I'm just really enjoying the history of it right now."

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